A man who complained that a magazine distributor's noisy forklifts kept him awake at night has been given 11 boxes of ear plugs.

The complainant, Tony Douglas, said he had not had a full night's sleep for three years, since Menzies opened a depot in a nearby industrial estate.

"There's regular, intensive banging and crashing with forklifts unloading wagons and loading vans," he said. "That goes on until about 4.30am, then there's a lull before it starts again at 5.30am."

Mr Douglas said Menzies' response to his complaints was to supply ear plugs and tell him to sleep on his left side, as he is deaf in his right ear, according to a Yorkshire Evening Post report.

Mr Douglas said he could not sleep on his good ear, due to arthritis.

Menzies depot manager David Gwillingham would not comment. Environmental health officials from Leeds City Council are investigating the complaint.