CALSTOCK is set to benefit from new life-saving equipment, it was learned last week.

At a meeting of Calstock Parish Council, Cllr Jim Wakem, representing the Cotehele Masonic Lodge, asked the council’s permission to house a defibrillator somewhere in Calstock village.

Cllr Wakem said: ‘We would like to buy a defibrillator and would like to place it somewhere in Calstock.

‘It’s a vibrant village and there is something going on all the time.

‘The one we have looked at is an external one with a key fob entry system.

‘We would like to ask the council where you would like it situated.

‘But because it is external, it needs an electricity supply to it which we anticipate would cost about £40 a year to run.

‘We were wondering if the council would be happy to take on that cost?

‘When you buy the defibrillator, it comes with three key fobs but you can get more.

‘They would do free training for people and we expect the keys to go to various places in Calstock like the pubs and shops etc.’

Cllr Wakem said the defibrillator came in a vandal-proof cabinet. The charity had been looking at one with a telephone entry system, where if there was an emergency someone could call 999 and get a code to get into the box, but he said with the lack of mobile reception in the village, they did not think it was a good idea.

Cllr Neythen Woolford said he was involved with the recent fitting of the defibrillator in Callington, which is a telephone operated device, and said that the council placed it near a public phone box.

He said: ‘That way, anyone can use it.

‘If you don’t know the area, you’ve got to go around looking for people who have a key fob. If it has a phone system then anyone can use it.’

Cllr Dick Hoile suggested the village hall or the Tamar Inn as obvious places to house the device. The train station or the estate in the village were also mentioned as possible sites.

Cllr Lee Manning said: ‘I think the centre of the village would be the best place, as that is where most people will be.’

The landlady from the Tamar Inn was among the public in attendance at the meeting and said she was happy to consider housing the defibrillator on one of the pub walls.

Councillors agreed that more discussion on the position and type of defibrillator was needed, but they would be happy to take on the running costs involved.