A HERMES delivery driver has been sacked after being caught on CCTV lobbing a fragile frosted glass lamp, valued at £250, over an 8ft gate.
Retiree Brian Caulfield was shocked when watching his CCTV earlier this year to see the impatient courier driver hurling the package 10ft into the air.
The shocking footage shows the driver launching the large black box over the 67-year-old’s black gate before it crashes into a flower bed at the side of the drive.
The box then rolls onto the tarmac at the home in Worcester, West Midlands before the driver walks away and begins to walk back to his van.
But after being confronted by neighbours, who spotted the incident, the driver then returned back to the gate and was filmed clambering over to retrieve the package.
The dopey driver then hands the damaged package to one of the neighbours before scrambling back over the top of the gate – which he left damaged.
An image shows the remains of the lamp which has been completely destroyed by the impact of the throw and is lying shattered on the ground.
Brian, 67, claimed that after complaining to Hermes the delivery driver showed up at the house days later and pleaded for Brian not to take any further action.
Hermes today revealed that, as a result of the incident, the driver no longer works for their company.
Brian’s daughter, Pam, posted the footage onto Twitter last month writing: “This is how @Hermesparcels treats your packages.
“No response from the company and the driver denies it happened.”
Social media users were appalled by the driver’s actions.
@MissBoola said: “Hermes is the worst delivery company in the UK. And they don’t give a s***.”
@PhDstud41324199 said: “This is quite common.
“I just don’t understand why @Hermesparcels can’t put together a strategy to get their drivers to act like normal humans.
“They’re ruining their reputation. I’m not ordering from anyone using Hermes ever again!”
@RuleCrazy said: “You won’t get a reply either! We’ve just had exactly the same, thrown over a 6ft gate without a care for what’s inside!
“This is normal. We get this EVERY time! I don’t know why companies still use them and why no-one will do anything about them.”
@OfficialDinsey replied: “That looks like a pretty successful delivery by their standards.”
Speaking today Brian said: “I was shocked (by the CCTV).
“It’s like a basketball player lobbing a ball at a hoop.
“You can clearly see on the box that it says fragile.
“But he said he pressed the box and it seemed soft.
“It’s been horrendous (trying to gain compensation).
“It’s only through sheer perseverance that I got them to respond.
“Their customer service is beyond appalling.”
Speaking today a spokeswoman for Hermes said: “We have apologised to Mr Caulfield, paid for the damage to his gate and contacted him to offer him a refund for the item along with an additional goodwill payment.
“As a result of this incident the contractor responsible no longer delivers on behalf of Hermes.”
