A SPECIAL life-saving gift has been donated to the Bolton community.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has given 30 defibrillators to charity Defibs4Bolton to distribute to schools, groups and clubs around the town.

The defibrillators are no longer needed at the Royal Bolton Hospital, which has recently bought newer models, but are in good working order.

Trust resuscitation officer Stephen Clift said he was delighted to have helped the community with the donation.

He said: "The hospital has a number of critically ill patients at any one time and we need the latest model of defibrillators, but the previous ones can still be used.

"We decided to donate them to the community – the more places that have this lifesaving equipment the better."

The donated equipment is automatic and can be used by untrained members of the public, while the new ones at the hospital include models which are more complex and can provide additional functions, such as monitoring.

Defibs4Bolton chairman, Tracey Garde, is a matron at the hospital and cardiac nurse by background.

She was inspired to start a campaign to put defibrillators in every school and sports club in Bolton after Wanderers’ footballer Fabrice Muamba received lifesaving treatment when his heart stopped during a match.

The charity has already distributed over 120 defibrillators.

She added: "This is a wonderful early Christmas present for people in Bolton.

"It is a fantastic opportunity for us to ensure Bolton is a safe place for the residents and gives them a better chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.

"Twelve to15 young people die every week in the UK of sudden cardiac arrest and with early access to defibrillators and people who can perform resuscitation this situation can only improve."