LIFE-SAVING medical equipment has been installed in an old telephone box in Dursley that had been ear-marked for removal.

Co-ordinated by Dursley Town Council and financed through a grant of more than £2,000 from via lottery funding, a defibrillator has been put up in place of the phone.

Councillors decided to adopt the historic kiosk in Castle Street after being informed by BT that it was the firm’s intention to remove it due to low use.

In order to preserve the equipment, an online poll was conducted by the council to determine how best to utilise the facility.

Installing a defibrillator was the most popular result and, with support from the Community Heartbeat Trust, it was agreed to purchase and erect the equipment by councillors.

Mayor of Dursley, Cllr Neil Grecian said: “The town councillors wanted to preserve this part of our town’s heritage and overwhelmingly agreed to adopt the kiosk.

“The UK Resuscitation Council state if you are more than five minutes away from medical help then local initiatives such as community defibrillators are essential to aid recovery from a cardiac arrest.

“The disused telephone kiosk is excellently located within the town centre, minutes from the War Memorial Recreation Ground and the majority of the shops and businesses.”

The defibrillator has now been registered with the Gloucestershire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and can now be used for emergency situations. The defibrillator will be available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To access the defibrillator, you must dial 999 to obtain a code to access the defibrillator.

Instructions are provided by the defibrillator during usage, but the town council will also be arranging a briefing session for anyone who would like learn more about using a defibrillator and what to do during a cardiac arrest.

To find out more about the defibrillator please contact the Town Clerk on 01453 547758 or email clerk@dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk