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A man who ordered a Kindle online received a patient's tumour sample instead in a bizarre courier delivery mix-up .

James Potten, 37, got a grisly shock when he received a FedEx package emblazoned "patient tumor - specimen enclosed" when he was expecting the Amazon ebook reader.

The parcel he received was supposed to go to the Royal Free Hospital in London but ended up on his doorstep instead after a delivery mix-up.

Mr Potten, of Clifton, Bristol, said he had received a parcel from an address in California.

"When I opened it I had quite a shock," he told the BBC.

He said FedEx had contacted him on Thursday, January 7 to inform him they had attempted to deliver a parcel but were unable as he wasn't home.

The driver then returned to his house later on that day.

Read more: Drug barons accidentally delivered cocaine worth £11million and hidden in boxes of bananas to Aldi

Mr Potten, an environmental consultant, said: "My name was on the outside, but the contents weren't what I expected.

"I haven't opened the sealed box, which says exempt patient tissue, as it doesn't belong to me.

“I don't know where my Kindle is, but if it is at the Royal Free I'd be happy to do an exchange."

(Image: Amazon/Mirror Online)

He said the tracking order had similar digits to his order and he was doing his utmost to get FedEx to collect it.

A spokesman for FedEx said the company was dispatching a driver to collect the sample.

This certainly isn't the first time online orders have been mixed up.

Read more: Watch careless postmen kick, drop and throw customers' parcels in shocking 'FedEx fails'

In December Amazon sent a woman 42lbs of playdough - even though she didn't order anything from them.

The surprise delivery - containing 180 cans of playdough - even came with an added 'gift' of a laser scanner - presumably having been accidentally left in the box by staff at the Amazon depot.

Like Mr Potten she also posted the incident on social media.