SUPERMARKET home delivery services have become a lifeline for many of the more vulnerable members of our community during the coronavirus pandemic.

And so it caused some distress to Tony and Diana Anderson, of Eldon Drive in Lower Bourne, to find their online account with Sainsbury’s had been cancelled after a brush with a disgruntled delivery driver on Tuesday last week.

Tony, 76, and Diana, 71, had been customers of Sainsbury’s for more than 30 years, receiving regular home deliveries for the last seven of those.

Every week, a Sainsbury’s van would arrive, and its driver would help unload their shopping into boxes left helpfully outside the couple’s front door, so they could then lift it inside in their own time.

However, after one driver incorrectly stated the supermarket could no longer offer this service because of the Covid restrictions, Tony said things got “a bit heated” when he explained they couldn’t lift the crates themselves – and the next thing the couple knew, they had been “blacklisted”.

Tony added: “We’re loyal customers, and we’ve never had any trouble at all before now. The delivery drivers are really helpful generally, but this one got really nasty with us.

“He kept saying he didn’t have any gloves or hand sanitiser, but then wanted to hand over his phone so I could speak to his manager – which says it all really.

“I can’t believe they just shut us down. We are elderly, so we don’t actually shop any more. But after they cancelled our account, we were forced to go into a supermarket.

“We’ve now managed to get a priority delivery slot with Tesco, so we won’t starve. But it’s the principle of the thing that bothers me.”

Sainsbury’s store manager at Water Lane, Farnham, has since passed on his “sincere apologies” to Tony by email – claiming the couple’s account was closed “in error” and has now been re-opened.

“As a gesture of goodwill”, the supermarket has also credited the couple’s account with a £20 voucher, as well as confirming that its drivers “will help you to unload the totes into any bags or boxes that you have ready at the door”.

But Tony is sticking to his guns, replying that “in view of the worry and trouble this has caused us, it would take a great deal more than a £20 voucher for us to return to being a Sainsbury’s customer again”.