A SHOP in Shenfield will be the second place in the borough to get life-saving equipment geared up to save people suffering a heart attack.

As part of a scheme, run by the Freemasons, a defibrillator machine has been given to the Tesco Express on Hutton Road.

Training has been provided by members of the Four Parishes First Reponders team on how to use the device which will be kept in a cabinet in the store.

After dialling 999, an access code will be provided to get to the defibrillator which works by actually stopping the heart in an attempt to allow the brain to restart.

Ron Ridge, co-ordinator of the Four Parishes First Responders, said: “The defibrillator is a machine that can increase the chances of a patient surviving a cardiac arrest enormously.

“If swiftly deployed, the chances of survival increase by ten per cent for every minute of delay.

“By placing these units in public places where they can be accessed by the general public, this helps get the equipment to the scene early and far quicker than a First Responder or an Ambulance so that the treatment can be started early.”

Another defibrillator was installed in a cabinet outside Boots in Brentwood High Street before Christmas.

Anyone interested in doing basic life support training can find out more information by speaking to Mr Ridge by either emailing coord@ez32.org or by visiting www.ez32.org.