MATT James finally has a new gatepost – 78 days after complaining to the supermarket which knocked one of them down.

Mr James was hoping to get the repairs resolved promptly, but it took almost three months of phone calls, emails and correspondence with Tesco before the repairs were carried out.

Mr James’ disappointment at the way Tesco handled the situation has led him and his wife to take their custom to another supermarket.

In a letter to Tesco they wrote: “The reward for this customer loyalty, and the sum we spent with you annually, turned out to be three months of stress and frustration and a derisory offer of £100 compensation.”

The couple live in Ash Road, Sandiway, and one of the brick driveway gateposts was knocked down by a Tesco delivery van on January 12, following a similar incident involving a Tesco van in March 2013.

On the first occasion Tesco said it would pay for the work if the couple arranged for the repairs to be carried out, said Mr James.

He had difficulty obtaining quotes for the work, and in the meantime Bovis Homes stepped in.

The housebuilder was creating an access road to its Forest Edge development next to the James’ home, and carried out the repair because of the noise caused by the work, said Mr James.

When the gatepost was knocked down a second time the couple were not prepared to obtain repair quotes and asked Tesco to sort everything out.

They wrote to Tesco CEO Philip Clarke a month later to complain there had been no progress, and were given £25 as an apology.

By the middle of last month they were contacted by a building firm, but there were problems with matching bricks, and the couple asked Tesco to consider £10 compensation a day for the delay.

The gatepost was rebuilt on March 31, but the couple are still angry at what they claim is poor customer service.

Mr James said: “They do not take ownership for their actions, and we have not been offered reasonable and fair compensation for this shambles.”

The couple received an offer of £100 as a goodwill gesture in respect of the ‘inconvenience claimed from the incident’.

A Tesco spokesman told the Guardian this week: “We’re very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused for Mr and Mrs James.

“We’re pleased the gatepost has now been fixed, and hope they will accept our gesture of goodwill as an apology.”