A 54-year-old trader from Essex staged a sit-down protest against Tesco delivering six-days a week to one of its Express stores.

John Caldow took the extreme measure of sitting in the way of a 30ft delivery truck to stop it performing a three-point turn just inches from his front door in the old market town of Manningtree.

Caldow, who restores barometers for a living, accused the supermarket chain of losing touch with the needs of smaller communities. He blocked the lorry’s way for two hours before the driver gave up and drove away without delivering.