Delivery Driver Dismissed After Throwing Parcel Containing Fragile Gift

A delivery driver lost his job following a CCTV recording that captured him forcefully throwing a package, which contained a Christmas gift intended for a boy suffering from a rare tumor, across a garden. The footage, recorded by Vicky Hood’s video doorbell, showed the DPD employee becoming visibly frustrated while trying to deliver the package to the family’s residence in Sudbury. After ringing the doorbell and then repeatedly knocking loudly on the front door without success, he retrieved the parcel and forcefully tossed it off-camera before departing. Mrs. Hood, aged 50, stated that the package held a delicate model airplane for her 11-year-old son, Ronnie, who is afflicted with an incurable tumor on his spine and brain. She conveyed her reaction: “I was in shock when I saw the parcel thrown across the lawn but also upset in case Ronnie’s present had broken,” adding, “I know the delivery drivers are very busy at this time of year, as we own a courier company, but that is no excuse to treat people’s items with such disrespect.” She further commented, “They could have saved up for so long to buy a gift, only to have it broken and ruin their Christmas. Thankfully, Ronnie’s present was undamaged.” Ronnie, the schoolboy, received a prognosis of nine months to live following his diagnosis in March and is presently undergoing treatment with an experimental drug costing £700 per month; however, “no miracle cure” is available. DPD informed the BBC that it was immediately made aware of the event, and the driver is “no longer delivering” for the firm. A spokesperson for DPD further stated, “A depot senior manager called the customer to apologise,” and added, “We would like to reassure all customers that this individual’s behaviour does not reflect the fantastic service our team delivers every day.” The spokesperson concluded, “We will always act when standards fall short of what we expect.” For updates on Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.