An angry customer took two Amazon delivery drivers hostage in a heated argument over a mattress. Dean Smith held the drivers’ keys at the side of a country road after he missed the 10am delivery of his £400 mattress. He took the keys and refused to let them go until the mattress - which was on its way back to a warehouse - was given back. The 44-year-old businessman, from Tavistock, west Devon, backed down when police threatened to arrest him. The bizarre standoff concluded around 10.30am after police ordered the shocked drivers to deliver the goods, reports the Express and Echo . Dean, of Lyd Gardens, said he was delighted to have stood up to a "giant like Amazon" and "fought for the common people". He said: "I'm a man of common sense and I was not prepared to let this mattress be driven away. "Even if they took it out of the van and left it at the side of the moor, I would have been happy. This is bureaucracy gone mad. "They wanted to drive the mattress back to Taunton and then back to my house tomorrow.
I worked in transport deliveries for seven years and this is just insane." Dean said he returned home from his work for the 10am delivery of his mattress only to find the truck pulling away from his address. Incensed, the businessman followed the van out of Tavistock and managed to speak with the driver. It was while the drivers were showing Dean the mattress that he lunged for the keys, only giving them up after the police were called. He added: "I had a bit of an argy-bargy with the police officer. "She wanted me to give up the keys. She said she was going to arrest me if I didn't but I was prepared to go down fighting. "I took them in lieu of my mattress. I was offering to give them back provided they gave me what's mine. "In the end, the police officer advised the drivers to give me the mattress. They were very nice about it all and even carried it onto my trailer for me!" The mattress was delivered by independent logistics company, Panther Group, after it was purchased on Amazon by Dean's partner last week.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson confirmed officers were called to deal with the incident in Green Lane but that no further action was required. A spokesperson for Amazon said the company is investigating the incident.Steven Hookway, 46, (pictured) was travelling at almost 70mph on a busy road when the object flew off the roof of a truckA driver who was nearly killed by a mattress lying in the middle of a road was told he has to pay £10,000 to repair the barrier he smashed into as he tried to avoid it.Steven Hookway, 46, was travelling at almost 70mph on a busy road when the object flew off the roof of a truck.It was left in the middle of the crowded A38 near Plymouth, Devon, and Mr Hookway desperately tried to swerve to go around it.But he lost control of his Renault Scenic and smashed into the central reservation - and police have told him he has to pay for the damage.Luckily the accounts manager, from Saltash, Cornwall, was not injured and he described the moment he yanked the steering wheel to avoid hitting the mattress.
He said: 'When you're in the outside lane travelling at 65 miles per hour and you see an obstacle in the road in the dark, do you avoid the brick wall or go into it.'I decided to avoid it, hit the kerb on the inside lane and spun across the road again. 'When it was happening I was just waiting for the next big bang or for the car to flip. His Renault Scenic (pictured) was written off following the incident on the A38 near Plymouth'I know I'm very fortunate - I even ended up in the lay-by facing back the right way.'I don't know how I'm not seriously injured or even dead. I didn't think I'd see my family again.'A woman driving a Volkswagen Bora struck the mattress which then became lodged under her car, causing her to brake and stop suddenly.She escaped badly shocked, and Mr Hookway also escaped serious injury but his car has been written off with extensive damage to the passenger side and the bonnet.Police have also warned him that he will be liable for the damage caused to the central reservation - at a cost of between £5,000 and £10,000.A witness told police they recalled seeing a mattress coming off a truck on the A38 dual carriageway around the time of the crash.
Mr Hookway argues that if the mattress had not been there to begin with, then he would not have needed to swerve and the accident would never have happened.He is now pleading for the driver of the truck carrying the mattress or any witnesses to the drama to come forward 'out of the goodness of their hearts'. Steven Hookway, 46, was travelling at almost 70mph in his silver vehicle when the object flew off the roof of a truckAfter the incident, Mr Hookway wrote online: 'Can't believe police not interested in finding owner of truck the mattress came off. 'They also left me in shock in the cold and dark, freezing while the breakdown truck came to recover vehicle (over an hour and half).'Police also blaming me for damage. If the mattress wasn't on the road this wouldn't have happened.'A Highways England spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the matter and our maintenance contractors are handling the claim, as is policy and as normal with incidents such as this on the highway.' Anyone who witnessed the truck or the collision is asked to contact police on 101 quoting the date of the accident, 29/11/2016.
Click & Collect:Please select: Aberdeen - Boulevard Retail Park Ashford - Ashford Retail Park Ballymena - Braidwater Retail Park Bangor - South Circular Road Barnsley - Cortonwood Retail Park Beckton - Gallions Reach Belfast - Boucher Road Blackpool - Vicarage Lane Bolton - Middlebrook Retail Park Bournemouth - Mallard Road Bradford - The Peel Centre Bristol - Cribbs Causeway Bromborough - Croft Retail Park Bury - Halls Mill Retail Park Cardiff - Capital Shopping Park Birmingham - Castlevale Retail Park Charlton - Peninsular Retail Park Chelmsford - Riverside Retail Park Cheltenham - Gateway Retail Park Colchester - Tollgate Centre Coventry - Airport Retail Park Crawley - Acorn Retail Park Crayford - Tower Retail Park Derby - Kingsway Retail Park Derry/Londonderry - Strand Road Doncaster - Opens Saturday 29th April Durham - Arnison Shopping Park Edinburgh - Fort Kinnaird Retail Park
Falkirk - Central Retail Park Fareham - Southampton Road Farnborough - Princes Mead Shopping Centre Friern Barnet - Friern Bridge Retail Park Glasgow - Glasgow Fort Shopping Park Gloucester - Opens Saturday April 1st Grimsby - Victoria Retail Park Hull - Clough Road Inverness - Rose Street Retail Park Kidderminster - Crossley Retail Park Kilmarnock - Queens Drive Retail Park Leeds - Birstall - Opens Saturday March 25th Leeds - Crown Point Retail Park Leeds - Kirkstall Bridge Shopping Park Leicester - St. Margaret's Retail Park Linwood Paisley - Phoenix Retail Park Llandudno - Mostyn Champneys Retail Park Longbridge - 38 High Street Longton - Phoenix Retail Park Maidstone - South Aylesford Retail Park Mansfield - Portland Retail Park Milton Keynes - Central Retail Park Newport - Mendalgief Retail Park Newry - Fiveways Roundabout, Damolly Retail Park Newtownabbey - Valley Retail Park
Nottingham - East Point Retail Park Oldbury - Oldbury Green Retail Park Oldham - Elk Mill Shopping Park Peterborough - Boongate Retail Park Plymouth - Friary Retail Park Rayleigh Weir - Weir Retail Park Reading - Reading Gate Retail Park Rotherham - Parkgate Shopping Park Salford - West One Retail Park Salisbury - Churchill Way West Sheffield - Drakehouse Retail Park Slough - Slough Retail Park Speke - New Mersey Shopping Park St. Helens - Ravenhead Retail Park Stockton - Portrack Lane Swansea - St David’s Retail Park Tamworth - Opens Friday April 14th Gateshead - Team Valley Shopping Park Telford - Telford Bridge Retail Park Thanet - The Link Retail Park Thurrock - The Junction Lakeside Shopping Park Wallsend - Middle Engine Lane Walsall - Crown Wharf Shopping Park Watford - Waterfields Retail Park Wigan - Robin Retail Park Wolverhampton - Bilston Road Retail Park