RESIDENTS are celebrating as a defibrillator has been installed outside a Co-op.

A fundraising page was set up in January to buy a defibrillator, costing more than £1,000 to go on the front of the Co-op store in Shrub End, Colchester.

Martin Ford, from the Colchester Community First Responders, helped with the project and councillor Lyn Barton (Lib Dem) also contributed £500 from her locality budget.

The Old New Inn, in Chapel Street, also got behind the campaign and raised a further £465.

However, having approached the Co-op to have the lifesaving machine installed next to the cash machine in May, there were legal issues which needed resolving.

The Co-op, which agreed to install the defibrillator free of charge, said after a six-month delay the machine is now available to use.

Martin Ford, Colchester community first responder, said: “We would like to thank the Co-op for installing it at their cost and also everyone involved in the fundraising campaign.

“This is now one of 20 we would have installed around Colchester by Christmas. “