A RETIRED ambulanceman born and bred in Accrington died of heart disease, an inquest heard.

Kevin Donaldson, 72, spent his whole life in the town and worked as a shop assistant and an ambulance driver in Great Harwood before he was forced to retire in 1992 following an injury at work.

An inquest at Hyndburn magistrates court heard that Mr Donaldson, who lived with his wife of 51 years at their home in Within Grove, died in November after complaining of feeling unwell for several days.

The court heard that despite his illness Mr Donaldson, a model boating enthusiast, refused to let his wife call a doctor and died in bed during the early hours of Wednesday, November 28.

A post mortem examination showed he had been suffering from congestive cardiomyopathy, a disease affecting the muscles of his heart, which, the inquest heard, could have been inherited from his father.

Deputy Coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, Caroline Singleton, recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.