A Royal Mail delivery driver was suspended after a fight broke out between him and a customer who was apparently unhappy with the way his parcel was delivered.
Mark Walker said he acted in self-defence when he punched the man twice during the row in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Following the altercation, the 38-year-old agency worker was suspended without pay while an investigation is carried out by Royal Mail, writes Birmingham Mail.
The incident has also been reported to police.
Mr Walker said he left a parcel on the doorstep of a property after knocking and failing to get an answer.
But he said that as he attempted to drive away he was confronted by an angry customer. Words were exchanged before the dispute descended into violence.
Mr Walker, from Chesterton, Staffordshire, said: "The customer approached the van with a parcel in his hand. I started winding my window down, I presumed I’d delivered the wrong parcel.
“He basically swore at me and said ‘No, you delivered the right parcel but I would have f****** appreciated it if you'd knocked on'. I said ‘I did knock on, mate'.
“I knocked hard. I gave it a good knock, I always do. It’s just a natural thing you do when you’re doing the job, you want them to answer."
Mr Walker claimed the irate customer then kicked his van so he got out to assess the damage. He said the customer then starting trying to punch him and knocked his glasses off. He says he threw two punches in self-defence.
The delivery driver - who suffered a black eye - says he immediately called Staffordshire Police. The customer is aged 40 to 45 and has short, dark brown hair. Mr Walker says he has now been suspended.
He added: “I feel like I'm a victim of an assault and I've literally been off work as they’ve suspended me with no pay. I just feel like I've been mistreated by Royal Mail as someone who’s been attacked working for them.
“In my opinion, I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong except to go to work and do an honest day’s work and I feel like I've been punished.”
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We were called to an address following reports of violence against a person. It is believed two men were involved in the incident, with one of the men believed to be a delivery driver. Inquiries are ongoing."
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We cannot comment on a case of this type, including while it is the subject of an ongoing police inquiry.”
