A DUDLEY councillor has spoken of his disappointment that a lifesaving community defibrillator has gone missing from a church.

Upper Gornal and Woodsetton councillor Keiran Casey took to social media to highlight the loss of the public access Automated External Defibrillator which can help to save a life in the event of a cardiac arrest.

The vital piece of kit is believed to have gone missing over the weekend of February 20 and 21 from a cabinet located on Upper Gornal Methodist Church.

Cllr Casey, president at Sedgley and Upper Gornal St John Ambulance which owns the defibrillator, said on Facebook that he was "shocked, angry and disappointed" to report the disappearance of the community defibrillator which he said was "presumably stolen judging by the damage to the cabinet".

He said the defibrillator had been funded by volunteers over many months and he told the News: "Local St John volunteers worked hard to raise the money to buy the defibrillator and help keep local people safe, it's so incredibly sad that someone would steal equipment like this, particularly when it's located on the wall of a church and vitally important to the community."

Carol Littler, unit manager at St John Ambulance, said: "The defibrillator, a ZOLL AED Plus is a distinctive yellow colour in a black padded case was removed from its locked storage cabinet after being forced open. The only purpose of the machine is to save a life so we would appeal for whoever has taken it to return it to us as soon as possible."

They have urged anyone with any information about what happened to the lifesaving piece of kit to contact the police by calling 101 or Crimestoppers (anonymously) on 08000 555111.