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A food delivery driver who bit off a customer's thumb has pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Jenniffer Rocha, 35, attacked the customer in December 2022 near his home in Aldershot in Hampshire.

She was not employed by Deliveroo, but had been working as a "substitute" rider using someone else's account.

The judge at Winchester Crown Court described it as a "serious offence", which could result in a prison sentence.

Deliveroo said it was an "awful incident", adding it had ended the rider's account.

Stephen Jenkinson, 36, had ordered a pizza from the food delivery app on 14 December 2022.

But Rocha arrived at the wrong location, down the street from Mr Jenkinson's house.

When he went to get his food, he forgot his phone and a brief argument ensued about the delivery code number he needed to provide.

Mr Jenkinson said he was then attacked.

He raised his hand to Rocha's motorcycle helmet and she bit his thumb.

"All I remember, I was shaking her helmet trying to get her off," he told the BBC.

She eventually let go, at which point Mr Jenkinson lifted up his arm and "sprayed her with blood".

Mr Jenkinson's thumb was severed just above the knuckle.

"The force with which she must have been biting, she'd clean taken it off," he said, adding it was as if he had "gone through a chainsaw".

He said the case raised questions about Deliveroo's responsibility for scrutinising its delivery drivers.

It comes as new figures released to BBC News indicate that, across the UK, three vehicles used for food delivery are seized every week by police because they are uninsured for business use.

Deliveroo, like many food delivery apps, does not employ any drivers or riders directly.

They are classed as independent contractors and can appoint "substitutes" to deliver on their behalf.

It the responsibility of the main account holder to check that the substitute is legally allowed to work.

The substitute must organise their own business insurance to cover delivering food.

Rocha was in the UK legally and had the right to work here.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68558464

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Fast food delivery anyone?