Moment delivery driver trips over when chasing after his own van as it rolls down an icy street

An unlucky delivery driver has been caught on film chasing after his own van as it slides down an icy residential street.

The courier was unaware that his white transit van was rolling away behind him as he delivered a Christmas present to homeowner Andrea Pellegrini.

It was not until a neighbour shouted, 'Mate, your van' that he bolted after it - only to slip on the ice and trip over. 

The driver regained his balance and managed to catch up with the runaway vehicle before applying the brakes.

The van, which had its handbrake on at the time, 'came within inches' of hitting parked cars but miraculously did not collide with anything.

The unnamed courier turned the van around and neighbours then came together to push it back up the hill so he could make his next delivery.

Andrea Pellegrini, 47, whose doorbell camera caught the slap-stick incident outside her home in Bournemouth, Dorset, said: 'The road can get really bad in the winter with ice. It dips down because right at the bottom is a valley. Kids often go down on their sledges when it snows.

'I was getting ready to go to a pantomime rehearsal when I saw him drive up...I was expecting a few parcels so thought it would be for me. He got out the van and came to meet me.

'I didn't notice what was happening until my neighbour, who was scraping ice off his car, shouted ''Mate, your van'' - we looked around and saw it rolling down the hill. I just thought ''oh my god its going to hit so many cars''.'

Ms Pellegrini added: 'When we fell he dropped the pad used to take pictures of the delivery.

'I picked it up and once he managed to get his vehicle back I gave it to him only for him to say he still needed to take the photograph to confirm delivery. What a pro'.