A VILLAGE now has an essential piece of lifesaving kit thanks to a campaign by a former firefighter and a generous donation from a businessman.

A defibrillator has been installed on the outside wall of Middleton St George’s post office after a fundraising drive by parish councillor Alan Blacklee, a retired firefighter aware how valuable the lifesaving devices are in medical emergencies.

Local resident and businessman Rob Maxey donated the amount left that was needed to buy the defibrillator after seeing a collection box at an allotments association event.

The British Heart Foundation had earlier donated £400.

Mr Maxey said: “I saw the box and just thought, that’s a great campaign but it will take ages to raise the money. When I was at my aunt’s funeral once, a friend of hers collapsed and died at my feet – but if we had had a defibrillator we could have perhaps saved him.

“I also hope that by having one here we can encourage other rural villages to fundraise and install them, and it will have a knock-on effect, because I really believe they should be everywhere,”

Mr Maxey was put in touch with Mr Blacklee by borough councillor Doris Jones. Cllr Jones said: “The village is growing more and more and obviously out here we are away from the town, so this could really make a difference in a crisis situation and we are very grateful to Rob for his donation.”

Mr Blacklee is also planning on running first aid courses in the near future in the village – but stressed that no first aid training at all was needed to use the defibrillator.

Full instructions are given by the machine itself as to how to administer the treatment as well as by a call handler. “No one should be frightened of using this,” he said.

“You’re in an emergency situation and you can’t make it any worse, in fact you could save a life. If you need to use it it means that person is dying unless something is done. A call operator will help you keep calm and talk you all the way through it.”

He said he had seen the value of the equipment during a 32-year career with the fire service.

“I saw the value of them and of the lives they have saved.”