AN Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been installed at the Crediton Morrisons store, where it has been mounted on the wall near the kiosk.

Morrisons, as a company, has installed a defibrillator in each of its stores across the county.

The AED’s have been supplied by the Morrisons Foundation in partnership with St Johns Ambulance.

A number of Morrisons staff have been trained to use the defibrillator to cover each shift and will be able to quickly go to the aid of someone should they have a cardiac arrest.

Each year about 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside the confines of a hospital and the chance of survival after the heart stops falls by around 10 per cent for every minute that passes without defibrillation.

St Johns Ambulance say that immediate defibrillation can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.

There are a number of other venues in Crediton where defibrillators have been installed including the Council Offices in Market Street, the Boniface Centre and both Tesco stores. AED’s have also been installed in some of the villages including Copplestone, Bow and Yeoford.