POTENTIALLY lifesaving equipment has been installed at a leisure centre - thanks to the efforts of local youngsters.

The £2,000 defibrillator at Hambleton Leisure Centre in Northallerton led the fundraising drive, bringing £413 through events ranging from quizzes to sponsored walks. That cash, together with district council funds, was then matched by the British Heart Foundation to allow the centre to become the first in Hambleton to have the equipment.

Its use will now be carefully monitored with a view to installing similar equipment in centres in Stokesley, Bedale and Thirsk.

According to Government statistics, 250,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrests and defibrillators could reduce that figure.

"We take the health and safety of our visitors very seriously," said the centre's facilities manager Steve Lister.

"We ensure that out staff are trained in life-saving techniques and this device will add to the quality of service and safety we provide."

The regional director of the British Heart Foundation, Tony Doveston, said: "We fully endorse the use of defibrillators as a way of saving lives. This project was an excellent example of a community working together."