Liverton, on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park, now has a new defibrillator at the village hall, to complement a number of other units that are scattered throughout the parish of Ilsington.

‘The area is already reasonably well covered, but when the Star Community Trust approached the hall committee some time ago with the offer of funds towards a defib unit here, the offer was too good to refuse,’ said District Councillor Adrian Patch.

Cllr Patch, pictured right, who is also chairman of the hall’s management committee, explained: ‘The Star Community Trust – now wound down – had been set up by Bryan and Carol, who previously ran the Star Inn, along with several active local residents.

‘Their donation was topped up with village hall funds in order to purchase and install the defibrillator.

‘There was already a project in train to relocate a de-commissioned ex-BT phone kiosk from another part of the village to the hall car park, but that was slated to host a book-exchange and information point.

‘The obvious place for a defibrillator was in the bus shelter.’

The project involved running electricity to the bus shelter – owned by the parish council – but this had an added benefit:

‘Our local residents enjoy the large Christmas tree that we put up in the hall car park each year,’ said Cllr Patch, ‘And now we are able to power brighter lights on the tree!’