ABOUT a week ago a white van stopped us in Heworth Village Road offering “free” mattresses if we were locals.

The driver said his manager had told him to dispose of an over-delivered consignment.

He showed us a stack of new-looking mattresses, and sensing our interest then said they were available at the ridiculously low price of £150, ie no longer free, and so we declined the offer to buy one.

Having now seen the article in The Press of February 22 by the National Bed Federation warning of a “back-of-the-van scam” where old dirty and even fire-risk mattresses are re-covered to look like new, I am relieved that we were not caught out, but I wonder how many locals have been?

Roger Cook, Galtres Avenue, York.