THE first community-access defibrillator has been installed in Bransgore.

The defibrillator is an automatic electronic machine which can restart a heartbeat which has become dangerously irregular or stopped entirely.

After Bransgore Parish Council heard about the life-saving benefits of the defibrillator councillor and owner at Harrow Wood Farm and Caravan Park, Richard Frampton ordered one.

The life-saving equipment has been strapped to the wall at the park for the public to use in emergencies.

The ambulance service 999 staff will also be able to direct local residents to it, where there is a need for the life-saving device in that area.

Mr Frampton said: “It is clear that these devices can help save lives.

“No special training is needed to operate them and with someone doing hands only CPR as well, the chances of someone surviving sudden cardiac arrest improve immensely.”

Bransgore Community First Responders co-ordinator Mike Jukes said: “A defibrillator used in the first few minutes can make all the difference.”

Public Access Defibrillators (PAD) will soon be in place at Bransgore Village Centre and in Burley shortly after that.

Nic Morecroft, responder manager for South Central Ambulance service, said: “We know that public access defibrillators, combined with prompt and effective bystander CPR, can help people who are having a cardiac arrest in the first few crucial minutes before an ambulance crew arrives.”

If anyone would like to learn how to use CPR, ring the British Heart Foundation for details of their nearest free Heartstart training session by calling 0300 330 3311.