Delivery robots removed from streets as pilot ends

Self-driving food delivery robots have been taken off the streets after the operator called time on a pilot scheme after just five months.

The six-wheeled machines were launched in parts of Sheffield by Starship Technologies in March in partnership with Uber Eats.

During the short trial the foot-high vehicles kept getting their visibility flags snapped off and some were sprayed with graffiti, as well as attracting complaints that they "got in the way" of pedestrians.

Starship Technologies said it had "paused" the service as its pilot scheme had come to a "natural" end, but insisted the vandalism did not affect the decision to stop.

Delivery robots tasked with carrying supermarket and takeaway orders have become a familiar sight in major UK cities, including Leeds and London.

They have divided opinion, with some people praising their nimbleness and convenience, while critics have complained they obstruct pavements and carry a "sinister" number of cameras.

But while they have become a permanent feature in parts of Leeds, Starship said the service had been halted in Sheffield for now.

As well as the robots themselves falling victim to vandalism in March, a charging station was defaced and traffic cones were placed behind the robots to prevent them from moving.

Ryan Case, public affairs and communication manager at Starship said: "Our pilot in Sheffield has come to an end, and we have paused the service while we review what we've learned.

"There have been a small number of incidents of vandalism, which is disappointing, not least because it affects the local businesses that rely on the robots for deliveries.

"But vandalism wasn't a factor in our decision to pause the service: this was a commercial decision and a natural conclusion to the pilot phase."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North