THE traditional red telephone box near Bovey Tracey Town Hall and the war memorial has a new use. It now houses a defibrillator to provide vital emergency aid to anyone who has suffered a heart attack in the town centre, and joins a network of several others across Bovey and nearby Heathfield.

The defibrillator used to be housed at the nearby Town Hall Garage but was not available at all times. It has now been relocated with the help of grants from the Bovey Tracey Hospital League of Friends and the Almshouse Trust.

Bovey Tracey mayor, Cllr Tony Allen, performed the official opening ceremony, joined by Ian Hutchings of Moorland First Aid who has managed the initiative, and the chairman of the league of friends and deputy mayor Cllr Avril Kerswell.

Cllr Allen said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted this has been put in place. We naturally hope that the defibrillator won’t need to be used, but it is there and available 24/7 in an emergency situation.

Cllr Kerswell said: ‘I am here on behalf of the league of friends who awarded a grant to help make this possible.

‘Administering CPR or using a defibrillator within the first few minutes of a suspected cardiac arrest significantly increases the patient’s chance of survival. People shouldn’t be intimidated by this equipment,’ she said. ‘It is safe and simple to use and you can’t do any damage. You can only make things better.’

Cllr Allen explained: ‘The council adopted the kiosk from BT for £1 a couple of years ago and arranged for it to be repainted last year following its Grade II listing. This makes a welcome use from a redundant asset.’

Town clerk Mark Wells added: ‘Thanks must go to Ian Hutchings, the founder and director of Moorland First Aid. Ian has been instrumental in providing defibrillators in the parish and has trained more than 60 residents to use them.’