VILLAGERS are being encouraged to switch onto the importance of installing life saving equipment in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Philip Chinque, of Heart Start, the organisation behind the drive, said: "The main objective is to teach volunteers from the community life-saving techniques to cope with choking, drowning and heart attacks."

As well as instructing volunteers, the organisation would also like to install a defibrillator in the village.

The machine is capable of restoring a heart to its normal rhythm electronically.

Mr Chinque said: "With regard to saving lives they can make a big difference.

"There are 250,000 cases of cardiac arrest a year. If they reach them with 12 to 15 minutes the ambulance service expect to save 5,000 of them.

"If a defibrillator is used fairly quickly and the ambulance service gets there in 20 minutes, 50,000 lives could be saved."

An appeal was made at a recent community meeting for ideas of where to store such a machine - but so far no-one has come forward.

Mr Chinque said: "Preferably it would need to be a place, which is open long hours, where it could be kept safe and released quickly."

The organisation has recently installed two defibrillators in Ilkley one at the Crescent Hotel, on Brook Street, and one at Christchurch on the Grove.

The machines cost £5,000 each, half of which will be provided by the British Heart Foundation.

Anyone interested in training or joining in fundraising should contact Philip Chinque at Heart Start on (01943) 601153.