AN ISOLATED rural community has taken charge of a new defibrillator for use in case of emergency.

The new Cardiac Science Powerheart G3 Community Public Access Defibrillator (cPad ) will be in a secure metal cabinet outside the Punch Bowl in Satley, near Lanchester, County Durham.

Satley Parish Council clerk Gavin Clark said, the equipment had been bought after Andy Coulthard of the mid-Durham Area Action Partnership (MDAAP) offered the village £5,000 to improve facilities throughout the parish.

The parish council in turn joined forced with the parochial church council to obtain additional funding from the County Durham Community Foundation.

About £2,000 of the cash was used to buy the cPad, which will benefit the parish as a whole.

The proprietors of The Punch Bowl Edward Wright and his partner Pam were approached and offered their premises as a site to locate the cPAD.

Mr Clark said: “When anyone in the locality is suspected of having a heart attack, calls to 999 (or 112) will not only get the attendance of an ambulance, but will also be informed of the location of the cPad.

“The caller will be given the security code to unlock the large yellow cabinet housing it.

“The cPad is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use without any prior training.”

Opening the device switches it on and a voice gives clear instructions on how to use it.

If necessary, the device will administer an electric shock.