EVRI SUES BBC FOR £1.2M OVER PANORAMA DOCUMENTARY

Delivery firm Evri has filed a libel claim against the BBC seeking approximately £1.2 million in damages over a Panorama programme broadcast in December. The claim relates to a 15-minute segment within the 29-minute documentary titled Evri: Where's My Parcel?, which examined working conditions at the delivery company. According to High Court documents, Evri's legal representatives argue that the segment wrongly suggests the company deployed exploitative business practices and misled Parliament regarding courier pay. Evri denies these allegations.

Evri's barristers claim the broadcast resulted in the loss of prospective contracts valued at approximately £1.1 million. The company is seeking special damages of around £1.2 million to cover financial losses attributed to reputational harm. Evri is also pursuing general damages and an injunction to prevent the BBC from repeating the claims. The documentary remains available online, with a description stating that Panorama investigated pressures within one delivery unit and featured accounts from couriers describing difficulty earning a living wage. Evri's description on the same platform states that couriers earn more than the national minimum wage and that the company provides fast, reliable and cost-effective service.

The BBC stated it does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings and has not yet filed a defence to the action. According to Evri's court submission, the company delivers approximately 900 million parcels annually. Legal representatives for Evri argued that the seriousness of the allegations caused material harm to the company's reputation and business prospects. The case represents one of several recent defamation actions brought by major companies against broadcasters.