Autumn 2006

A new contender in the unattended delivery market has been launched in the form of Parcel Safe, a lockable box for mounting outside private houses.

The concept may be familiar, but the impetus behind it probably isn't. It is the brainchild of Eddie Riby, who describes himself as a club DJ, and who thought up the idea in response to the problems he had taking delivery of demonstration records and CDs. "I was wasting so much time making frequent trips to Royal Mail to pick up my records, I knew there had to be a better system," he says.

The box is more compact than others of its kind in its market. The wall-hugging unit measures 58cm by 50cm tall and is just 24cm deep, and might therefore fit into a tighter space than some of its rivals. Its 40-litre capacity is said to be more than enough to take reasonably bulky items (bigger than shoe box-sized).

It is made from coated mild steel, and is attached to a back plate that is screwed firmly to a wall. It is closed by a six-lever self-locking hasp style lock. The company even includes a screwdriver and a masonry drill bit in the package.

Riby says he could theoretically produce thousands of units a month. The system is already listed on various retail web sites, including Mailboxesdirect and Simply Postboxes, though the company itself does not yet have a transactional web site. Riby says he is looking for additional distributors.