Lost access to email associated with my iCloud account

Hello, I’ve been putting off this issue for quite some time. Several years ago when I was working at my previous job, I created an Apple ID/iCloud account using my work email at that time I have since moved on and left that company rendering my past email address essentially useless because I can’t gain access to the email anymore in order to reset the password even temporarily my question is, how do you delete a past iCloud account that you no longer have access to the email that the account was creative with?

thank you,

Sam