CROFT Parish Council has welcomed the installation of a new defibrillator which could 'make the difference between life and death'.

It has been placed in the village following a joint-initiative between Croft Parish Council and Scouts in the area.

The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been fitted to the wall of the toilet block by Croft playing field, opposite the Horseshoe Inn pub, on Smithy Lane.

It will be fully operational in a few weeks once it has been registered.

Croft Parish Council chairman Val Allen, who will be standing for the Conservatives in Warrington North at the General Election, said: "I am delighted that the parish council, under my leadership, has been able to work with Croft Scouts to make this happen.

"We had an excellent community awareness session on Tuesday and we'll be repeating it later this year so that people know what to do if someone needs urgent help.

"A cardiac arrest can strike any person, at any time, often with very little warning.

"Having a defibrillator close by – especially in a rural community like Croft – could literally make the difference between life and death."

Residents wishing to know the location of their nearest AED can head to heartsafe.org.uk.