The family of a paramedic accused of refusing to help a dying woman because he was on a tea break claims he has been made a scapegoat in the affair.

Alfred Park, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the job, is alleged to have ignored the emergency call to help Catherine Cowie, 50, from Fraserburgh, an MS sufferer who had suffered a suspected heart attack.

According to reports, Park, who was eating a sandwich at a station just 300 yards from Cowie’s home, handed a key to an ambulance technician, and asked her to respond to the 999 call so that he could finish his tea break.

Cowie was treated by another ambulance crew and taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where she died from pneumonia two days later.

Her daughter, Christine Cowie, said that she had overheard two paramedics who attended complaining about Park’s refusal to respond to the call. “I feel nothing but disgust. How can someone work in such a position and refuse to save someone’s life? It’s horrendous,” she said.

But a relative of Park’s, who asked not to be named, said there must be some mistake and that Park would not have acted in such a way. She said that the 54-year-old has been on holiday in the Caribbean since the incident earlier this month and is still unaware of the furore.

“He loves his job and is going to be very hurt when he comes back to all this,” she said. “He doesn’t know anything about it. There has been a mistake.

“Alfred would not do something like this. He wouldn’t have been a paramedic for 30 years if he didn’t give it his all.”

Last week, Cowie said she planned to lodge a formal complaint with the Scottish Ambulance Service.

“I can’t believe a paramedic worker would not get off his backside to come and help my mum,” she said. “The system really needs to be changed. People could die because of this.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance service, which has backed Parks, said: “An ambulance technician was on scene administering treatment to the patient within four minutes, followed very quickly by a further two technicians. Ambulance technicians are highly skilled in the delivery of emergency medical care and save lives every day.

“Ambulance crews are entitled to a break during their shift and cannot be disturbed during that period. All ambulance services in the UK must comply with these rules, unless staff choose individually to be interrupted during their break.”

Times Recommends

• Charles blazes trail as sun king
• Thalidomiders win payout 50 years on
• Libel gag on talk of 'medical hurricane'