THE death of a delivery driver at a Stanford-le-Hope distribution centre has prompted a wave of sympathy and support from members of the local community who have contributed to an online fund to help his widow and two young children.

Paul Crush, 42, worked at the UPS hub on the London Gateway port logistics park and he collapsed and dies of a suspected heart attack last week after working a 12-hour shift for the logistics firm.

Mr Crush died last Wednesday (18 December) and his friends and colleagues have questioned whether the pre-Christmas workload, which saw him delivering up to 240 parcels a day, played a part in the tragedy.

The father of two from Chelmsford, who earned around £30,000 a year, was one of 120 workers at the site, with friends claiming he was under too much pressure.'

A friend says: "I saw him having coffee before he started his shift and he looked tired and said it had been a struggle for him to get out of bed - but he was as cheerful as ever.

"That was his problem. He was the kind of guy who would never say no to extra work. He'll have died of natural causes but his mates who knew him think he's been worked to death."

Mr Crush is survived by his wife Tracey, 40, as well as a son, four, and an eight-year-old daughter.

UPS said in a statement: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our fellow UPSer. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues."

A GoFundMe page in Mr Crush's name has already raised more than £8,000 for his family. You can link to it via the red button below.

It was posted with the statement: "We'd like to start a collection to ease the pressure on the Crush family, perhaps assist with funeral costs or just to treat the children, whatever may help.