One of the AEDs in Kingsbridge was stolen over the weekend, an action that could have had “fatal consequences”.

Less than a month after the defibrillator was installed outside the Well Pharmacy on the Quay, it was removed from its storage cabinet overnight between Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30.

The defibrillator was discovered abandoned and handed in to a PCSO by a member of the public, but the pads, which deliver an electric shock to a casualty suffering a cardiac arrest, had been taken, so the AED could no longer function.

Fortunately a spare set of pads were available which could be connected to the device to make it ’rescue ready’ again and it was replaced in its cabinet by the police during Sunday night. It has been recorded as a crime of theft.

Enquiries are ongoing to see if CCTV in the area recorded any information about this incident.

The AED is stored in an unlocked cabinet to enable anyone to access it as quickly as possible in an emergency, there have been comments on social media as to whether the case should be locked.

But both South West Ambulance Service and the British Heart Foundation recommend that AED cabinets remain unlocked at all times. The SWAS website states: “Storage of defibrillators should not add barriers to access. Locks and coded storage are not supported by the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust as these can delay access.

“The rescuer will already be in a heightened distressed condition and may forget a code; may not correctly type in a code; or may not be able to find a key to gain access.”

Dr Carl Gwinnutt, President of the Resuscitation Council UK and member of the Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club Heartstart Team said: “It is very disappointing that someone would deliberately try and put the AED out of action.

“If someone in the vicinity has a cardiac arrest, using an AED is their best chance of survival as it is the only treatment we have to restart their heart. By removing this device or the pads, which are used to deliver the shock, would mean a responder would have to get an AED from another site.

"The time taken would delay giving a shock and reduce the victim’s chance of survival.

“Many local communities in the South Hams have worked hard to acquire an AED and undergone training in how to use them. This is essential as the Ambulance Service will not always be able to respond as fast as they would wish, simply because of the local geography.

“Fortunately, malicious damage and theft of AEDs is very rare across the country. I would ask that anyone who thinks of taking or damaging an AED from any site, even as a prank, to think again as the next time it is needed may be to treat a member of your family or a close friend.”

Steve Kerr, Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club, said: “Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary, who funded this device, are very grateful to the member of the public who handed it in and also to the police for returning it to its cabinet so promptly.

“Fortunately the AED was handed in to the police and spare pads were available to make it operational again very quickly. But what if it had been needed for a genuine emergency and was found missing?

“This thoughtless act of vandalism might have had very serious consequences."

PC Rich Loxton, who lead the fundraising efforts for Kingsbridge Police to have portable defibrillators in there response cars, and questioned the “stupidity” of the theft that could have had “fatal consequences”, is investigating the incident, unless someone wants to come forward.

If you have any information on this theft, call 101 or email PC Loxton on: [email protected]

You can find out where your nearest defibrillator is by visiting our interactive map: tinyurl.com/southhamsdefibs or using the QR Code on the back of our papers.