LIFE-SAVING equipment has been installed in a village near Cockermouth - thanks to donations from the community and parish council.

The public access defibrillator has been mounted on Brigham Memorial Hall. The defibrillator has been paid for by funds raised by Brigham and Broughton First Responders and a contribution from the parish council.

Councillor Richard Barber said: "It's invaluable to have a defibrillator in easy reach of people in the village.

"I'm critically aware of the benefits of being able to provide quick medical care in emergencies.

"The parish council was delighted to be able to help provide this."

The first responders group recently disbanded after serving the community for 20 years. It decided to spend its remaining funds of more than £6,000, raised mainly through donations, on defibrillators.

Two have been installed in Broughton: one on the village hall and one on The Punch Bowl.

Former paramedic Ralph Palmer was one of the founding members, along with Russell and Nicky Cockburn.

"Now that we are retired from active responding we are extremely proud of this next and logical step by the First Responder Team of ensuring that villagers themselves have proximity to public access defibrillators," said Councillor Cockburn.

"We couldn’t have done all this without the support of the people in the villages to whom we express our heartfelt thanks."

Ralph will be running a series of defibrillator awareness sessions in Broughton and Brigham.

"Defibs can make all the difference in that short period of time when an ambulance is on its way," he said.

"Someone can be doing something before the ambulance arrives."