A COMMUNITY is in shock after potentially life-saving emergency equipment was stolen by mindless thieves.

Crooks stole the defibrillator from outside Heybridge’s Plantation Hall early last week.

It was taken from a locked cabinet by the main entrance of the hall.

A local first responder had been investigating with the ambulance service last week in case it had been used and not returned.

But it now appears to have been stolen.

Parish council chairman Simon Burwood said he was “disappointed and saddened” by the theft.

He said the defibrillator was a vital community resource and appealed for any information about the crime.

Mr Burwood said: “It’s senseless isn’t it?

“Initially I was upset, but the more I think about it, the angrier I get.

“I think people just do it because they think they can.

“I understand that where it is placed makes it a focal point, but we want it is there to save lives.

“There has been so much work and time which has gone into this to get it here.

“It was a project which was set up by our former councillor Gary Young and it was given to us as a donation from the British Heart Foundation.

“We had to get the cabinet and we had to train several members of our community to use it – people who really gave up their time for this.

“It is something we need to replace sooner rather than later.”

The defibrillator, which was installed in late 2017, has yet to be used in an emergency situation.

The hi-tech kit is used to give an electric shock to restart a heart attack victim’s heart.

Mr Burwood added: “We only reported this to other members of the council last night.

“We will have to come together as a council again and decide what the next steps will be which will take a minimum of a month before we can even get permission to put together resources.”

Options include speaking with the British Heart Foundation or paying for a new defibrillator out of the council’s own pockets.

Anyone with information is urged to call the parish clerk on 01621 855652.