LIFE-saving defibrillators, which can help save people who are suffering a heart attack, have been installed outside every fire station in Cheshire.

The devices can be used by members of the public at any time to aid someone in cardiac arrest if they phone 999.

They can increase a patient's chance of survival by up to 80 per cent.

The wall-mounted defibrillators have been funded by Cheshire Fire and residents do not need any special training to use them.

Firefighter Steve McCormick who led the project said: “Firstly I would like to point out to everyone that these devices can’t be used to shock someone that doesn’t need it. They only work on people suffering a cardiac arrest.

"Ambulance operators are trained to instruct people with no experience how to use them safely and effectively.

"These devices are clearly visible outside the fire station fitted to the exterior wall. To access one in an emergency you need to phone 999 and ask for an ambulance and you will be given a code to open a box where the defibrillator is housed.

"The device can then be taken to the casualty and will be collected and returned by paramedics after the emergency."

For information visit cheshirefire.gov.uk.