Video shows brazen ‘Just Eat driver stealing food’ while waiting for order

CCTV shows the woman placing food into her Deliveroo-branded delivery bag

A brazen food delivery driver has been sacked after being filmed helping herself to a takeaway’s food twice in one night – swiping snacks as she collects customers’ orders. Andrew Girvin, who owns Huckleberry’s Pizza and Dessert Bar in Belfast, checked CCTV when staff caught a driver taking a tub of their popcorn on August 11.

Footage shot at 8.55pm shows the lady, believed to be in her mid-30s, telling staff about an order she was due to collect before walking over to the snack counter. She can be seen quickly grabbing a pack of sweets and slipping it into her Deliveroo-branded delivery bag before collecting the hot food order and leaving.

The same lady returned to the takeaway an hour later and CCTV footage catches her swiping a tub of popcorn while waiting for her next order. Luckily, an eagle-eyed staff member asks if she had paid so is forced to hand it back when she and a male friend said they did not have the money.

Andrew, 52, says he was ‘fuming’ when he saw the footage because profits are tight and a driver trying to ‘hurt’ the business could impact the livelihoods of his six staff. Despite the stolen snacks only amounting to around £10 he is worried they or other drivers could have done this before and has now has stopped working with Just Eat.

Andrew realised the cheeky driver worked for Just Eat as she provided correct order numbers upon arrival – and they only worked with this company for deliveries. He reported the incident to Just Eat who have since ‘removed the courier from their network’ after finding their ‘high standards weren’t met’.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland ( PSNI ) are appealing for information to help their investigation. Andrew, from Belfast, said: “When I saw the footage I was fuming because business costs are so expensive.

“The profit margin isn’t very high so whenever someone steals a few boxes of Pringles, that’s the whole profit for the case of them gone. I don’t know if she or the fella has the Just Eat account but I think they were working as a team to distract staff.

“I don’t even know how long this has been going on because the delivery drivers do sit beside the sweets and it would be easy for them to do. I was angry because I try to support and employ local people, then people like that are coming in to try and hurt the business.”

Andrew says he posted screenshots of the footage to Facebook as ‘everyone knows everyone’ in the area and it has led to people apologising and paying for items in the past. However, he has had no contact from anyone so far so believes the pair are not from the local area.

His Facebook post, which has more than 100 likes, shares and comments, said: “Watch out, Just Eat delivery thieves are about.

“Staff managed to catch a Just Eat delivery driver and their partner stealing items by either distracting staff or waiting until no one was looking, then stealing items and placing them in their delivery bag. Thankfully we have CCTV footage and have passed it onto Just Eat. Not sure what will happen.

“This is a warning for all those other businesses out there that use these delivery drivers! Feel free to share far and wide and help protect our local businesses.

“The pictures below are to shame the waster that was caught on August 11. If you choose to thieve in our shops, then be prepared to be named and shamed. Old school.”

One commented: “One more reason not to use Just Eat or Deliveroo.” A second said: “Absolutely ridiculous.”

Andrew replied: “It’s terrible having to put up with this as well the extortionate costs of running a business, then these wasters make it even harder!” A third added: “That’s wild.”

Deliveroo declined to comment. A Just Eat spokesperson said: “We’re very proud to champion local restaurant businesses and we have zero tolerance for behaviours that negatively impact them.

“Couriers who deliver on behalf of Just Eat are independent contractors. We will always remove courier accounts from our network where our high standards have not been met, as we’ve done on this occasion.”

A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: “Police received a report at around 9.15pm on Sunday, 17th August of two thefts from commercial premises.

“It was reported that two people entered the premises – at 8.50pm and again at 10pm – and took items without paying. Anyone with any information can contact police on the 101 number, quoting reference 1606 of 17/08/25.

“You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via //www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”