A NEW defibrillator has been unveiled at Hexham train station this week.

Bob Hull, who was Mayor of Hexham from 2019 to 2021, funded the life-saving device from his Mayor's allowance.

Installation at the station has been delayed due to the Covid pandemic and the need to obtain Listed Building Consent.

But on Monday (June 6), Mr Hull unveiled the defibrillator and thanked Sarah Kennedy, station manager at Hexham, for hosting the equipment at a key location in the town.

Northern, which operates the station, has also agreed to maintain the defibrillator.

Defibrillators give a high-energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

According to the British Heart Foundation, early CPR and defbrillation can double the chances of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Kerry Peters, regional director at Northern, said: “Defibrillators in public places are of huge benefit, not only to those travelling with us, but also the communities we serve. 

"Our aim is to make a positive impact for the North, and we will continue to work hard to introduce defibrillators at even more of our stations.” 

Mr Hull said that compared to other towns, Hexham had 'relatively few' defibrillators.

"They can be life-saving for people who have a heart attack if they're available, I think the view is, within a 500m radius of where the incident occurs, so it will be useful to have them scattered more widely through the town," he said.

As of July, Mr Hull will become the new President of Hexham Rotary Club.

He said during his term of office the Club will be seeking to raise funding for additional defibrillators in Hexham.

"Rotary nationally and in the district are aiming to do more to raise funds for defibrillators," he said.

He hopes businesses and other organisations in the town and potential sponsors will come forward to support this initiative.