For most people Jonathan Barnett's doormat is a welcoming sight.

Some, however, have a different opinion. The estate managers of his block of flats informed Mr Barnett earlier this month he needed to throw out the mat to prevent any injuries.

In a letter, littered with spelling mistakes, HML Hawksworth wrote: "Following a recent health and safety site inspection it has been bought (sic) to our attention that you have a door mat in the communal parts (sic) of the building. Please can you remove the door mat as this is a breach of health and safety regulations. Please be advised that if the door mat is not removed we will have no choice but to remove the door mat in due corse (sic)."

Mr Barnett, who owns the flat in Brookshill, Harrow Weald, had no problems with his doormat prior to the letter and even thought it might have been a belated April Fools' joke.

The 45-year-old said: "It's just so laughable. It's health and safety gone mad; what kind of risk does a doormat really pose? It's just a waste of every-one's time. I don't really care about the mat but it's complete nonsense.

"One of my neighbours has damp running down the side of her house and these so called estate managers do nothing about it. I genuinely don't know what their responsibility is, yet apparently they have the time to assess the risk of doormats thoroughly.

"Also the letter is appalling - if a seven-year-old had produced that I would have been disappointed."

He also said the mat outside his front door had been there for the past four years and that no one had injured themselves as a result of it.

A spokeswoman for HML Hawksorth said: "The consultant who carried out that report specifically commented on the fact that all items in the common parts such as door-mats should be removed because they form a tripping hazard. Such hazards are of particular concern should it be necessary for residents to evacuate the building if there were a fire"