Parcels dumped in gardens across Beragh and Tyrone as Evri investigates

A COURIER firm is urgently investigating after parcels for customers across Tyrone and beyond were found dumped in back gardens in and around Beragh and Omagh.

At least 14 Evri parcels were discovered last Wednesday and Thursday, abandoned in a garden in Beragh, with further reports of similar finds in surrounding areas of Tyrone. The parcels were addressed to customers not only in Tyrone, but also in Mid Ulster and County Londonderry - with some delivery addresses up to 45 miles away from where they were found.

Local residents say the parcels appeared to have been deliberately dumped rather than mistakenly delivered, sparking anger and concern in the run-up to Christmas, one of the busiest periods for online shopping.

An Evri spokesperson said the company is “urgently investigating” the incident to establish what went wrong.

“We apologise to any customers impacted by this incident,” the spokesperson said, adding that the firm would take appropriate action and support affected customers.

The discovery has prompted a wave of reaction on local social media, where residents shared images and appeals to reunite parcels with their rightful owners.

One post said: “A delivery driver dumped these parcels in my sister-in-law’s garden in Beragh. We managed to locate all the owners from Killeeshil to Omagh.”

Another shopper wrote of their frustration after learning Evri was handling their delivery: “I ordered clothing from Joe Browns and forgot to check who their delivery firm was. It’s Evri - and now my items are showing as ‘held’.”

Separate posts appealed for help locating missing parcels that had failed to reach addresses in Beragh, with residents asking neighbours to check gardens and sheds.

The Beragh and other Tyrone incidents come after several days of negative headlines for Evri during the Christmas shopping rush. Last weekend the company apologised to customers nationwide for lost or delayed parcels, while earlier this week it said it was actively tracking service levels in Northern Ireland following multiple complaints.

Evri has also been the subject of a recent BBC Panorama investigation into its service standards. While the firm is one of the UK’s largest delivery companies, an industry regulator’s survey of the 11 biggest courier firms found Evri had the highest number of complaints about parcels not being delivered and the lowest levels of customer satisfaction. Evri disputes those findings.

In a longer statement, the company said its 30,000 couriers are delivering around four million parcels a day during its busiest weeks of the year, with the “overwhelming majority” arriving on time and in good condition. It said it uses AI technology and performance monitoring systems to track deliveries and investigate missing items.

However, for residents in Beragh and other parts of Tyrone, the sight of parcels dumped far from their intended destinations has raised fresh questions about delivery standards - and left many hoping their Christmas orders will still arrive in time.