VITAL life-saving equipment has taken pride of place outside the Red Lion in Culross thanks to Rotary funding.

Residents and visitors to the village now have 24-hour access to the defibrillator, which has been installed at the main entrance to the pub.

Money was raised by the Rotary Club of West Fife, with support from Hilary Warnock, of Saline First Responders, and permission from the Red Lion’s owners.

The small machine can be used by the local community to help anyone suffering from a cardiac arrest.

Martin King, of the Rotary Club of West Fife, said: “Our club is focused on helping to improve people’s lives, both locally and internationally. After Hilary addressed our club as a guest speaker, we were determined to find a way of providing defibrillators within our local villages.

"Support is being provided by the club for a second defibrillator to be installed, this time in Crossford. We hope to extend the network in future.”

The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a small machine which shocks a patient’s heart into restarting. It is easy to use and is sophisticated enough to talk the user through the process, delivering a shock only when one is required. No clinical training is required in its use.

A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time and the employment of a defibrillator and CPR within the first few minutes after an arrest, while professional help is on its way, can increase the chances of a patient’s survival by up to 70 per cent.

A CPR first aid evening is also set to be arranged for local residents so that they are aware of the existence of the defibrillator, its location and how to use it.

Diane McKenzie, of Culross Community Council, said after the installation: “It’s fantastic to see this life-saving equipment now installed in the heart of Culross so it can benefit the whole community if someone suddenly suffers a cardiac arrest.”

The Press recently reported that a group of Halbeath neighbours had also clubbed together £1,200 for a defibrillator after ambulance staff were delayed attending two cardiac arrests at the nearby level crossing.