A POTENTIALLY lifesaving defibrillator, which was installed by Corsham Town Council near the short stay car park, went live last week.

After consulting with the UK's leading community defibrillator charity, The Community Heartbeat Trust, the important medical equipment was installed on the exterior wall of the public toilets on Newlands Road and Simon Scott, head of technical services at the town council, believes it will empower the town.

He said: "Using the defibrillator is completely self-explanatory and the machine tells you what to do at every stage. You simply call 999 to get an access code – an ambulance is automatically summoned at the same time – and then follow the very clear instructions.

"No training is needed to use it, but the Community Heartbeat Trust will be running a session to explain how the defibrillator works in the near future, which we’ll publicise, and anyone who wants to come along is more than welcome."

The council have been looking to fit an automated external defibrillator for a number of months and the acquisition of the public toilets provided the perfect location for the machine to be mounted.

Corsham Town Council chairman councillor Ruth Hopkinson said: "The Town Council’s Strategic Plan highlights a safe and healthy community as one of its main themes so to have been able to fund the defibrillator, which has been a long-term aim of the Council, and see it in place is great news.

"Obviously we hope it never has to be used, but to know that the town centre has a community defibrillator in place is very reassuring."