MINDLESS vandals faked a cardiac arrest before trashing lifesaving emergency equipment in Bewsey.

A defibrillator in Bewsey Park Pavillion on Troutbeck Avenue was targeted by vandals at the weekend.

The offenders made a hoax call to the helpline number listed on the defibrillator and claimed that there was an emergency in order to receive an access code to the equipment before trashing equipment.

Warrington Guardian:

The defibrillator was trashed by vandals at Bewsey Community Park Centre

Cllr Tony Higgins, Warrington Borough Council’s executive board member for leisure and community, was ‘livid’ with the vandals.

He said: “I’m absolutely outraged at such mindless vandalism.

“This could have cost someone their life.

“We could have easily installed the defibrillator inside the building where nobody would have been able to access it, but we made the decision to put it on the wall outside where it is easily accessible for the community.

“For mindless vandals to pretend to have a cardiac arrest just to access the pin number and vandalise it is outrageous.”

A total of 16 defibrillators have been installed at community centres across the town in the past few months.

Only last week, one was used to save a life.

The North West Ambulance Service will now carry out repairs on Bewsey Park Pavillion’s defibrillator.

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Cllr Higgins added: “Thankfully, the North West Ambulance Service is going to repair the defibrillator - but it’s not their job to do that.

“It’s not irreparable, but they have damaged it to the point where it couldn’t be used.

“Only last week, one of these defibrillators actually saved someone’s life after a man collapsed.

“I’m very angry, because this act could have resulted in someone not getting the help they needed in an emergency.”