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Manchester named UK’s parcel theft capital, according to new research

Well, this isn't ideal.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 19th May 2026

Manchester has a new title to talk about… although I doubt we’ll be talking about this one with so much pride.

That’s because the city has been named the UK’s parcel theft capital.

More packages were sent in the UK than ever before in 2025, according to recent data, with approximately 4.2 billion parcels being posted, but this has meant that doorstep deliveries have become part of daily life for many households.

As online shopping continues to grow, so too does the concern around so-called ‘porch piracy’, where parcels are stolen from doorsteps, porches, and communal delivery areas.

So, in a bid to reveal the UK cities that are most vulnerable to parcel theft, home and contents specialists at iSelect analysed cities across three key factors – local theft rates, working-from-home levels, and parcel theft-related search behaviour, and each city was then given an overall parcel theft risk score out of 100.

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Evri parcel delivery
Manchester has been named the UK’s parcel theft capital / Credit: Evri | Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)

The study found that Manchester is, unfortunately, the UK city most at risk of parcel theft – with an index score of 91.43 out of 100.

Manchester recorded the highest theft rate in the study, with 13.52 thefts per 1,000 people, as well as one of the highest levels of parcel theft-related searches, at 161.6 searches per 100,000 people.

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Experts at iSelect say this suggests that residents are not only more exposed to theft overall, but that concern around missing or stolen parcels is ‘particularly high’ in the city too.

Other northern cities featuring in the top five include Newcastle in second place, with a parcel theft risk score of 75.89, while Leeds followed in fourth place with a risk score of 53.51 out of 100, and Kingston upon Hull ranked fifth, scoring 48.48 out of 100. 

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Then into the top 10 is where you’ll find cities like Bradford, Birmingham, Nottingham, and of course, the English capital London.

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At the other end of the ranking, Derby was named the safest UK city for parcel deliveries, with a score of 17.68 out of 100, and according to the research, the city benefited from a relatively high working-from-home rate of 28.9%, which reduces the likelihood of parcels being left unattended for long periods.

Featured Image – Oxana Melis (via Unsplash)

News

Vision to host the Olympics in the North of England takes step forward

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The bid to host the Olympics in the North has taken a step forward

The government has taken a serious step forward in its vision to bring an Olympic and Paralympic Games bid to the north of England.

A strategic assessment has officially been commissioned to see if the first northern Olympics could be viable in the 2040s.

The assessment will test the impact that hosting could have on the North’s regeneration and growth.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said that our corner of the country produces some of the UK’s finest sporting talent, but that the region itself has been overlooked for hosting a global event of this size.

She said that the government is now ‘starting the firing gun on a long overdue vote of confidence in the North’.

An initial strategic assessment has been commissioned from UK Sport to see whether the UK could host an Olympic and Paralympic Games up north.

It will assess key factors such as potential cost, socioeconomic benefit and any bid’s chance of success.

Lisa Nandy said: “London 2012 showed what the Olympics can do for our country. It inspired a generation through sport, attracted huge investment and showed the best of Britain to the world.

“But while the North of England has driven so much sporting excellence, no matter the talent we produce, the sporting moments we create, and the world-class events we attract – for too long we have been told the Olympics is simply too big and too important to be hosted in the North.

“Not any more. It’s time the Olympics came North and we showed what we can offer to the world. I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that we’re starting the firing gun on a long overdue vote of confidence in the North.”

Manchester is already home to world-class cycling facility, the National Cycling Centre
Manchester is already home to world-class cycling facility, the National Cycling Centre. Credit: Unsplash, Dylan Nolte

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “Britain’s sporting prowess is recognised and respected around the world. It’s something we are determined to capitalise on to breathe life into our communities and build a stronger and more secure economy.

“That’s why we’re throwing our full support behind bringing the Games back home which will boost our Northern Growth Corridor. It’s also why we’re backing stadium regeneration plans, like at Elland Road, to deliver new homes, business opportunities and public spaces in Leeds and beyond.”

Chair of The Great North, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “From our great cities and towns to our coastlines and countryside, the North has the venues, the passion and the sporting pride to deliver a world-class Olympic and Paralympic Games that showcases the very best of Great Britain to the world.

“A Great North Olympics would be a global showcase, leaving a legacy of prosperity, unity and renewal. It’s an opportunity not to be missed, delivering transformational investment in transport, regeneration and public spaces across the North of England.

“This could become the most people-powered Games ever hosted: inspiring millions of people into sport, volunteering and community action.”

The news comes ahead of a major sporting summer for the UK, which includes events like the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grands Départs.

The Government is already backing bids to host the World Athletics and Para-Athletics Championships in 2029, as well as the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as part of its commitment to driving a decade of change in women’s sport.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Enzo Maresca to Manchester City: Ex-Chelsea coach looks set to replace Pep Guardiola

Danny Jones Danny Jones Enzo Maresca to replace Pep Guardiola as Man City manager

Manchester City manager and club legend Pep Guardiola looks all set to leave the Etihad at the end of this season, and it appears that Enzo Maresca has already been identified as his replacement.

With the game-changing Catalan head coach now seemingly gearing up to leave Man City after a decade, following the conclusion of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign (which his side could very well still win), Blues are already getting ready to bid a bittersweet goodbye.

You won’t find many City supporters who will be happy to see him go, having overseen not only a period of dominance but the most successful period in their history – one that has quite literally changed English football – but they will at least be optimistic about the frontrunner to succeed him.

As per the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, among other sources, an agreement is said to have been reached for the Italian to take over in East Manchester.

Going so far as to state that the deal is now in place, he claims that Maresca will sign a three-year deal with Man City.

Obviously, this is all still pending an official announcement by the club, which may now be moving up their plans to confirm Pep’s departure since the news was first reported on Monday, 18 May.

According to The Athletic‘s Sam Lee, who was part of the outlet’s team that helped break the story alongside David Ornstein, the 46-year-old has been earmarked for the top job for more than half a decade, as it turns out.

He states that former City Football Group exec and director of football, Txiki Begiristain, already believed Maresca could follow in the Spaniard’s footseps back in 2020.

Yes, it’s also worth reminding that Maresca has already worked as part of the staff at the Etihad Campus, not only leading their Elite Development Squad (EDS) of U23s players, but also being part of the backroom staff alongside the serial winner, serving as an assistant coach in 2022.

The 46-year-old has gone on to win the likes of the Championship, UEFA Conference League title and a FIFA Club World Cup in his last two jobs at Leicester and Chelsea, respectively, barring his very first stint at Parma in 2021 when he missed out getting his side promoted.

Safe to say that Maresca has quickly gone on to be one of the most promising managerial prospects in a relatively short space of time, and was even linked with being both the England boss and a rival position for Manchester United at one point or another.

It’s only a matter of time until we find out if/for how long he gets the job following Pep Guardiola’s contract expiring this summer, but he’ll have quite the job on

Would you be happy with the appointment, Blues? More crucially, perhaps, are you ready to say farewell to your greatest-ever manager?

His footballing inspirations are plain to see.

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Featured Images — Sky Sports (via YouTube)Steffen Prößdorf/Timfilbert (via WikiCommons)

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