A fire chief jailed after being falsely accused of historic child sex abuse has blamed police for his wife’s death at the age of 54 because of the stress caused by his wrongful conviction.

Lynn Bryant has died just six months after her husband was finally freed after spending almost three years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Her husband David, 66, from Christchurch in Dorset broke down in tears as he told The Telegraph of his wife’s deep distress at police’s continued refusal to apologise for its bungled investigation into the false claims, made by a serial liar and fantasist.

Mrs Bryant died on February 13 from sepsis, a potentially lethal condition which occurs when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive during an infection.