Defibrillator case smashed by vandals
Vandals have put lives at risk by smashing into a publicly accessible cabinet containing a life- saving defibrillator in Lichfield.
Based outside Lloyds Bank on Market Street, the cabinet protects the defibrillator but was badly damaged leaving the heart reviving equipment open to the elements.
As a result of the damage, which occurred overnight on Thursday, the defibrillator is now having to be kept inside the bank and is only available for use whenever it is open.
West Midlands Ambulance Service community response manager Matt Heward, said: "This is extremely frustrating and could potentially end up costing a life.
"Lichfield is a busy area and somewhere we would ideally like to install more defibrillators.
"However, this means that temporarily there will be less available for members of the public to use in case of an emergency, the complete opposite of what we are trying to achieve."
He added: "Defibrillators are there in the event of someone having a cardiac arrest, when they stop breathing and their heart stops beating.
"Unfortunately, if a cardiac arrest takes place in Lichfield whilst the bank is closed, we currently have one less defibrillator available to potentially save a life."
