NEW life-saving equipment has been installed in a village thanks to a community fundraising campaign and a four-figure grant from a regional employer.

Stillington & Whitton Parish Council drew up plans to install a public access defibrillator in the community to give anyone suffering a cardiac arrest a better chance of recovering.

Over a three month period, residents managed to raise more than £2,000 towards the cost of purchasing and installing the defibrillator.

And now, after the parish council secured a £1,700 grant from the Durham-headquartered Banks Group, the new defibrillator has been installed in the former phone box in Whitton village.

Gwynn Dunn, clerk at Stillington & Whitton Parish Council said:"We live in an area that's very popular with cyclists, walkers and dog owners, so as well as being there for residents, the defibrillator could also be a lifesaver for any of our visitors."