A 'life-saving' project has been completed in Congleton, as two new defibrillators have been installed in the area.

Located at Back Lane playing fields and Viking Way respectively, these new installations should enable the community to respond more quickly to life-threatening emergencies.

Congleton Town Mayor, Cllr Rob Moreton, officially unveiled the defibrillators this month.

Statistics show that similar defibrillators are used once every six weeks. These new ones are registered with a central database, meaning emergency services can direct people to the nearest location on the other end of a 999 call.

Other statistics from the British Heart Foundation suggest that, in the UK, as many as 30,000 people per year suffer from sudden cardiac arrest. Of these, only 10% survive.

(Image - Congleton Town Council)

However, the availability of defibrillators can increase survivability rates to up to 74%, provided the device is used within three minutes on a person in a shockable rhythm.

The project was funded jointly by Congleton Lions, Congleton Partnership, London Hearts, and Tesco. The units themselves were installed by Jon Charlesworth (Eric Charlesworth Electrical Services) and Chris Hough (Dane Ridge Joinery), free of charge.

Cathy Dean, Officer for Congleton Partnership, expressed her gratitude for the community's collaborative effort: "This project is a shining example of what we can achieve together. [...]This project exemplifies the synergy of community groups, local businesses, and the council coming together to safeguard our residents."

David Morris from Congleton Lions added: "With the two new devices, we now have ten 24/7 accessible defibrillators in Congleton [...]. Our sincere thanks to Tesco as well, whose community grant scheme contributed to the Howdens unit. It's crucial for our community to have these life-saving tools readily available."