A disused phone box in Audley End will potentially save lives after being repurposed to accommodate a defibrillator.

The request for a defibrillator - which can be accessed by any member of the public with a code - came from the Audley End Community Project, and was installed thanks to a grant from Essex Heart Fund and others.

Deb Manchip, who coordinated the installation, said: "It was important that we found the funding needed to install a defibrillator in the village as the nearest one was two miles away in either direction, and it’s the same distance to the nearest doctor.

“It brings a lot of comfort for people locally to know that if someone has a cardiac arrest in the village, we now have the equipment that could save their life.

“We are hosting regular sessions to ensure that local people are trained in how to use the equipment and feel confident in doing so."