THE widow of a courier for DPD who died from diabetes after he was fined for attending a medical appointment has slammed the parcel giant for showing a lack of compassion over the tragedy.

Ruth Lane said she has received no apology or contact from bosses at DPD following husband Don's death last month.

Mr Lane, 53, skipped numerous appointments with kidney specialists after he was fined £150 for missing a day's work for attending another hospital visit over his diabetes.

His manager told him he could not understand why he required a day off for it and issued the daily fine as he 'did not see that the breach should be rescinded'.

In the space of a year the courier collapsed four times due to his diabetes and missed the appointments as he felt under pressure to cover his rounds.

Mr Lane, of Christchurch collapsed at home on December 30 and died in hospital five days later.

His devastated wife said DPD had failed in their 'duty of care' to her husband and accused them of showing a lack of compassion over his death.

Mrs Lane, 55, said: "There has been no letter from head office, no apology.

"I've not heard a word from them.

"DPD were totally unsympathetic to my husband.

"His manager didn't understand why Don couldn't have come into work first or left to go to the appointment.

"The company were abrupt, cold, horrible and uncaring. They failed in their duty of care.

"They knew how ill he was. He had collapsed at work in the past."

Mr Lane first collapsed due to his diabetes on December 27, 2016.

He collapsed again and fell into a diabetic coma while in his van at work in January 2017.

Last July, Mr Lane attended a hospital appointment he had told his bosses about months earlier but was still fined £150 by the company.

Mrs Lane, who works at a Marks and Spencer Food Hall, said that in the days before he died her husband was feeling sick and vomiting blood, but still went into work because he feared being fined.

Mrs Lane, who has one son Jordon, 22, by her husband, said: "He looked so ill, like an 80-year-old man. He was sick and vomiting blood but he still felt like he had to go to work."

Meanwhile, DPD said in a statement that it was 'profoundly sorry' that it had charged Mr Lane.

They said: "Don worked with DPD for 19 years and was a much loved and valued member of our team. Don will be badly missed by everyone in the Bournemouth depot."

The statement continued: "In relation to Don’s poor health at the end of December 2016 and into January 2017, we refute the claim that he was under pressure and threatened with a £150 charge. We have correspondence confirming that Don had “no worries about being charged.

"Clearly however, there was confusion around one particular appointment on 18 July 2017. Don attended his appointment, but it isn’t clear why he was then charged, when the charge hadn’t been applied at any other time. We got it wrong on that occasion, and for that we are profoundly sorry."