City Link says 'spy-in-the-van' will improve deliveries

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City Link has invested heavily to fit 50 of its vans with security cameras in a bid to achieve a 100% incident-free delivery service.

Dubbed 'VanCam', each van will have two cameras on the doors, one internally in the freight hold area, and one in the driver's cab. City Link intends to roll out the device across its entire fleet.

The investment comes after a number of east London-based City Link employees were last week sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court for stealing thousands of pounds worth of cargo.

Under the new initiative, cameras will work while the vehicle is both attended and unattended, acting as a deterrent to anyone who might be tempted to tamper with the van or its cargo. The live system can be viewed from the firm's central control room.

The implementation follows a three-month pilot across a number of depots, where as a result of the cameras, there were no losses of parcels, no road accidents, no damage to vans or no recorded health and safety incidents.

Russell Mannix, City Link's head of security, says: "If a customer tells us that a parcel has not been delivered we can quickly work out what has happened. VanCam will clearly play a significant part in reducing losses and claims."

In addition, the firm believes the security device will act as a preventative measure against attacks on drivers.

Mannix concludes: "It is a big commitment for the business. It will be a significant investment across the whole fleet."

The east-London based City Link drivers that were found guilty last week of thefts totalling £6,954 between April and May 2008 were: Trevor Griffith from Limehouse; Clive Myrie of Hackney; and Margaret Thomas from Plaistow, all aged 44, along with 32-year-old Faye Clark from Basildon.

Clark and Thomas received four-month suspended sentences and must carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, while Griffith and Myrie were ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service, and received eight-month suspended sentences.

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Express delivery company City Link has stepped up its security by fitting security cameras onto its vans.

Each van will have four cameras: two focused on the van doors, one internally in the freight hold area, and one in the driver’s cab, all continuously monitoring collection and delivery activities.

The VanCams stream live images and all footage is recorded.

The cameras will run while the van is unattended, acting as a deterrent to thieves, offering protection for drivers and goods.

After a three month pilot, City Link is extending roll-out to 50 vans before installing the cameras across its entire fleet.

Russell Mannix, City Link’s head of security, said: “It is a big commitment for the business – it will be a significant investment across the whole fleet that will help us reduce loss and improve the service we offer to our Customers”.