In a move that he claims will increase efficiency, parcel delivery driver Tom Wellston has begun filling in “Sorry We Missed You” cards the night before, rather than doing them one-by-one when he arrives at each property during his shift.

"I figured that if I’m going to be carding every single customer without checking whether they’re home anyway, then I may as well get the cards done first," he explained. "It means I can just pop the cards in the letter boxes – sometimes without even leaving my van – and then drop off all the parcels at the Post Office. Actually, I might drop the parcels off at the Post Office first and then deliver the cards. Either way, I should be all done by 10am," he added.

He denied claims that people were often home to accept deliveries. "That’s not my experience at all. I mean, sure, I don’t walk into the property or ring the doorbell, so I guess it is technically possible that someone is inside the property. But certainly from my position on the footpath I’ve never been aware of that," he noted.

Customer Margaret Beechworth said it was comforting to know that whether she is home or not has no bearing on the outcome. "I appreciate that the system respects my time by ensuring I can collect the parcel myself later," she said.