City's food delivery riders in constant fear of theft, assault and harassment

THEY SAY THEY ARE SEEN AS 'EASY TARGETS'

- By JOEL MOORE

DELIVERY riders say they are "working in fear" in Nottingham due to a rise in thefts, assaults and intimidation.

Food couriers have become a staple of life in the city centre over the last decade, and can frequently be seen on bicycles and e-bikes buzzing between restaurants, takeaways and customers' homes.

But some fear the environment in which they work is becoming increasingly hostile.

We spoke to three workers who all say they have been the victims of crimes, ranging from being punched in the face outside McDonald's to having an electric bike worth thousands stolen while collecting an order.

The couriers, who have all been employed by the big three food delivery companies - Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats - say many of the offences are committed by gangs of masked youths.

They also say they have given up reporting incidents due to a "significant loss of confidence" in the police.

Nottinghamshire Police, however, have urged riders to report all incidents and said they "remain committed" to tracking down offenders.

Paulo Aguiar, who has worked as a courier for the three major companies for around five years, says he is in a "constant fear of working", particularly during the late afternoons and evenings.

"We have to remain in a constant state of alert due to the fear of theft. Groups of teenagers dressed in black, wearing masks and backpacks, immediately put us on edge because we know we are easy targets," the 40-year-old said.

"Many times, we choose to stop working early or not work at all that day to avoid greater losses."

Mr Aguiar said he had a bicycle, an electric bike and an e-bike battery stolen while working in the city centre, setting him back more than £3,000.