Tesco delivery driver sues customer after slipping and twisting his ankle on driveway

A Tesco delivery driver is suing one of the supermarket giant's customers after he slipped on the man's driveway while dropping off some groceries.

Andrew Britton has demanded compensation from father-of two Paul Singleton because he twisted an ankle in April.

Mr Singleton called Tesco after he received a lawyer's letter from Mr Britton three months after the incident, but was told it was a private claim and  that the company would not comment further.

Paul Singleton is being sued by a Tesco's delivery driver who tripped at the entrance to his large detached North Yorkshire home

The estate agent this morning told of his anger over the claim.

He said: 'I've been using this service for at  least three years.

'It was so easy - I would press a buzzer to open my front  gate and the driver would come in.

'My driveway is perfectly safe and only  slopes down by about an inch.

'On April 10 one of the drivers mentioned he had gone over on his ankle.

'I asked him if he was okay and he said "Yes mate, no problem". He carried on unloading the bags from the van and seemed fine, so I thought no more of it.

'The deliveries continued for three months with no problems until I suddenly  got a solicitor's letter out of the blue telling me the driver was suing me  because he had injured his ankle after falling on my drive.

'I was stunned and livid and felt completely bemused.'

Mr Singleton, who lives in a five-bedroom detached property in Hemingbrough,  North Yorkshire, added: 'The best way to describe my driveway is undulating, it is paved and slopes down slightly, but no-one has ever had any problems before. It is just a normal  driveway.

'I think the driver must have jumped from his van to the floor instead of  slowly climbing out and injured himself that way.

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Danger? Mr Singleton's sloped driveway

Loyal customer: Singleton had used the store's online shopping service for several years

'He's claiming he was parked on my land instead of by the roadside.'

Tesco's legal team told the 40-year-old there was nothing they could do because it was a private claim.

He said: 'They're just not interested, despite me being a loyal customer who has  spent a lot of money with them - I won't be shopping with them again after this.

'It's embarrassing for them.' 

Singleton lives with girlfriend Tracey Brown, 30, and his two daughters. 

He has employed a solicitor to handle the case brought against him by Britton,  who lives in York.

A Tesco spokesman said: 'Because it is an individual claim Tesco are not  involved in any way, so it would be inappropriate of us to comment on the  matter.'

Mr Britton's solicitors, Thornleys, also refused to comment.