Local residents have expressed their shock after it emerged yesterday that a life-saving public defibrillator has gone missing from the centre of Bath.
The equipment was recently installed on the outside of the Council’s Northgate House offices in Upper Borough Walls, near the Volunteer Rifleman’s Arms public house.
A sign stuck to the front of the cabinet reads: ‘Sorry out of service STOLEN!!’ [sic].
It was the fourth such device to be installed in the centre of Bath, which can be accessed for use by the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week after an access code is given by South West Ambulance Service.
The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is made available for members of the public to use when someone is in cardiac arrest and fighting for their life.
The equipment was dedicated to the memory of Dave (Wally) Waldron, a much-loved taxi driver who died of a heart attack in Bath on 19th April 2014.
He had been fund-raising for the defibrillator before he died.
The installation was made possible by a collection organised in The Volunteer Rifleman’s Arms with donations from British Heart Foundation, Dave (Wally) Waldron and local councillor funding.
The device hadn’t been checked since before Christmas, though it’s not yet been determined whether the device has been stolen or was used in an emergency and not returned to its cabinet.
Once used in an emergency situation, the defibrillator is normally inspected and then re-commissioned for use.
It was recently revealed that eight publicly accessible defibrillators had been stolen in Bristol over the past few months.
Another public defibrillator has now been installed in Larkhall, thanks to efforts of residents in the area.
Avon and Somerset Police are asking anyone with information regarding the missing device to contact them via 101 quoting ref 6601/15 or ask to speak to PC897.
