A DEFIBRILLATOR brought for the village of Bere Alston three years ago has been stolen.

The lifesaving equipment, valued at £750, was stollen from its box on the wall outside the village toilets on Sunday between midnight and 6am.

It had been used on Saturday night for an emergency prior to an ambulance arriving at the scene and had been placed back safely in its box.

Parish councillor Brian Lamb said he was appalled by the incident.

‘The defibrillator has been here for three years and we have never had any problem like this. It has been used several times and is a lifeline for an isolated village like this.

‘There is another defibrillator at the doctors’surgery but that is only accessible during surgery hours.

‘Whoever has stolen our community defibrillator is potentially putting somebody’s life in danger.’

The equipment was bought with money raised by villagers and a contribution from Bere Ferrers Parish Council.

It is a CA-TEK make and has the serial number DEF504020STDULE and service number 44.

If anyone has any information they should call the police on 101 and quote the crime number 056708/20