Amazon's 10 metres of Christmas wrapping is testimony to elfin safety

Amazon's packaging elves have been accused of displaying a slight tendency towards overzealousness after a slim children's book bought as a Christmas present was delivered swaddled in 30ft of brown paper and squashed into a huge box.

Helen Hamer, a writer from north London, ordered Christopher Wormell's Animal Train from the online retailer at the beginning of December.

When the paperback book and its accompanying box and reams of paper arrived five days later, Hamer assumed it was some kind of practical joke.

"I picked up the parcel from my local sorting office and was really surprised when I saw the size of the package as I couldn't remember buying anything that big," she told the Daily Mail.

"The man in the sorting office actually joked that he didn't think there was anything inside as it was so light."

After battling through 10 metres of protective paper, Hamer eventually discovered the book she had ordered.

She told the paper she was puzzled by the excessively generous approach to gift wrapping.

"It's bad for the environment to be using all of this extra packaging," she said, "and it also costs Amazon more money".

A spokesman for Amazon suggested Hamer register her response on its packaging feedback page, adding: "Our aim is to ensure that customers receive products in perfect condition whilst using the least amount of packaging possible."