After months of fundraising pupils at Noremarsh Junior School have unveiled a life-saving piece of equipment in Royal Wootton Bassett High Street.

On Friday, a defibrillator – which can restart the heart in the case of a cardiac arrest – was unveiled on the wall opposite the town’s war memorial after pupils at the school managed to raise £2,000 in donations during the last school year.

Thirteen-year-old James Thomas, who left the school for Royal Wootton Bassett Academy last year, was one of the students who spear-headed the campaign by cycling from Royal Wootton Bassett in a sponsored bike ride.

The youngster said: “I did a 31- mile bike ride with my dad and managed to raise £210.

“We heard about it in assembly and it was just something I wanted to raise money for.

“I do quite a lot of cycling anyway and it was just one thing I thought I could do. Lots of people could be saved by having the machine and it’s just really important to have it.”

Following James’ example many Noremarsh pupils got behind the campaign, holding lemonade stalls, cake stalls, sponsored silences, singing and a fun run, while many other local businesses and figures in the community raised money for the cause too.

Ellen Woollaston-Cooper, chairman of the board of governors at Noremarsh, said: “I think it’s fantastic that the school has managed to raise the money and unveiled it here today.’’ The automated external defibrillator (AED) is available for use 24 hours a day and is secured in a bright yellow box which can only be opened with a special combination code provided by an emergency services operator via 999.

The machine tells the user how to use it and will analyse the casualty itself before administering any shocks.