Only two days after the first robots went out delivering takeaways for Uber Eats one of them was attacked near a Wetherspoons popular with students.
The robot was filmed being surrounded by at least seven people dressed in costumes for a night out, and tipped over on its side on Saturday evening.
People shouted and jeered as the robot let out a piercing alarm, which stopped when it was put the right way up again.
But the lull did not last for long, as it was then lifted up by two people, including a man dressed as a cow with udders.
The pair appeared to lose their grip on the heavy robot, and it fell heavily onto the pavement, where it was left dumped in a hedge.
The robot, which on its way back to base after making a delivery, was damaged during the incident, and footage of it being attacked will be handed to the police and universities.
Could the ‘Otley Run’ be a challenge too far?
The incident happened on Headingley Lane near Wetherspoons in Leeds, a popular student area.
Headingley is known for the infamous ‘Otley Run’, a pub crawl to the town centre often done in fancy dress, which is seen as a rite of passage for students.
While the robots are well established bringing people groceries from Co-op in Leeds, delivering evening takeaways in the pub crawl area might be a temptation too far.
A fleet of 15 began operating for Uber Eats in the Headingley, Burley and Hyde Park areas of the city last week, the first city in Europe they are doing so.
Ahead of the launch, Starship’s vice president Lisa Johnson told Metro that incidents of vandalism of the robots were very rare.
‘People like the robots, they’re cute,’ she said. ‘You get the odd incident here or there where somebody messes with the robot, especially near university campuses. But it’s so much less than you think.
‘People treat them like pets or toddlers the way they look after them.’
‘The robot is a little shaken’
Ms Johnson, who lives in Leeds, said: ‘Sadly, some over-exuberant revellers decided to cause some robot mischief on Saturday night.
‘The robot suffered some damage and is a little shaken. We’re giving it a couple of days’ recovery time to get fixed up, but it’ll be back out making festive deliveries soon. It was on its way home for the night to charge, so no-one missed out on a delivery.
‘Our robots love Leeds – we’ve been here for years and have done thousands of deliveries in different parts of the city.
‘We won’t let a few people who made daft decisions after overindulging in the Christmas cheer spoil it for everyone else. We’re looking forward to all of the love and deliveries we can share with students and the community in 2026.
‘The incident was filmed by a number of passers-by. We will provide the footage and information about the incident to both the police and university.’
An Uber Eats spokesperson said: ‘We’re glad to hear this delivery robot is recovering and will soon be back out bringing meals, gifts and festive cheer to the people of Leeds.’
Metro has contacted West Yorkshire Police for comment.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Waymo self-driving cars hit London streets in preparation for 2026 launch
MORE: Passengers told not to travel after power outage at Leeds station sparks chaos
