Courier, 49, found dead behind wheel of van after working seven-day weeks and 14-hour days

He was 'working all the hours under the sun' in the build up to Black Friday

A DPD courier died in his vehicle after working up to seven days a week in the days leading up to Black Friday.

Warren Norton passed away at the age of just 49 after trying to deliver as many parcels as possible ahead of the big shopping event.

He had worked for the company for around two years.

His colleagues found him slumped over the wheel of his Citroën van yesterday morning at the DPD depot in Dartford, Kent, according to the Sun.

[caption id="attachment_368354" align="alignnone" width="980"] Norton had apparently been working six to seven days a week and would sometimes work from 6am until 8pm (Facebook)[/caption] "Warren has been working all the hours under the sun recently to deliver as many parcels as he could," a source told the paper. "The managers try to coax you into working more days and longer hours because they know we’re self-employed. "The warehouse floor must be cleared of parcels at all costs." He was said to be working six to seven days a week, starting at 6am and sometimes working up to 8pm — earning about £120 a day. Colleagues say managers encourage them to work longer at busier times. Workers are usually self-employed and typically deliver more than 150 parcels a day.

Workers who found him initially thought he was sleeping in his van from exhaustion. But when they tapped on the window and he didn't respond, they then smashed the door window to get into the van.

Norton fell out of the van and on to the floor when they opened the door.

CPR and a defibrillator was used but he was pronounced dead at the scene as he lay on the warehouse floor.

He leaves behind a 14-year-old daughter.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this moment," said a DPD spokesman.

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