FIREFIGHTERS have been teaching children how to save lives.

A crew from Bolton fire station visited Rumworth School in Ladybridge to teach children life-saving CPR training during Healthy Heart Week last week.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue ran the initiative in partnership with the British Heart Foundation and the North West Ambulance Service.

The aim of the project was to ensure no pupil in the region leaves school without knowing how to save a life.

Children were given training, on a manikin, on how to cope with someone who is choking, how to put someone in the recovery position and also how to administer CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

Ian Read, watch manager for Bolton Central, said the initiative was a huge success.

He said: "The children responded very well and were very responsive to the training.

"It is massively important to teach children these life saving skills.

"It is setting them up for their future in a working environment and in life.

"A lot of children are going home and teaching their parents the skills as well and showing them what they have learnt so that is good.

"We just want to give these kids the best push into adult life that we can."

Fire crews across Bolton visited schools during Healthy Heart week and will be running the training sessions up until the school holidays.

A crew also attended Triangle Church in Chorley Old Road and delivered 'head start' training to congregation members.

Mr Read added: "If a child has a heart attack, it is more than likely that they have a heart condition and there is something wrong with their heart which is more serious and why the focus is on children.

"For older people it can be a variety of reasons as to why they have had a heart attack.

"But it is still just as important for adults to know this training and the Triangle Church congregation where still very enthusiastic."