A ST John Ambulance volunteer and Dudley councillor has called for a change in the law following a spate of thefts of lifesaving defibrillators across the borough.

Councillor Adam Aston, who also works as a paramedic for West Midlands Ambulance Service, has set up an online petition calling on the Government to categorise the theft of medical or lifesaving equipment as aggravated offences which carry a heftier sentence in law.

Responding to the recent theft of two public access defibrillators belonging to St John Ambulance, within his own Upper Gornal and Woodsetton ward, he said “Without a doubt, the damage or theft of equipment such as defibrillators, bleed kits or buoyancy aids puts lives at risk and I think the law should recognise this.

"I would like to see these thefts treated as aggravated offences which would carry a more severe sentence and act as a deterrent."

Carol Littler, unit manager at St John Ambulance in Sedgley, said, "We understand that West Midlands Police had only two recorded cases of defibrillator theft in 2018, yet we're aware that five have been stolen in the Dudley borough within the last 12 months alone, clearly a black market for the resale of the devices has developed."

A defibrillator delivers a high energy electric shock to the heart if someone has suffered a cardiac arrest and can be found in an increasing number of locations across the UK.

Just two weeks ago we reported on the theft of a community defibrillator from the wall of Upper Gornal Methodist Church, believed to have been stolen between February 20 and 21.

Just days later a device reported to have been taken from the wall outside Brooklands Amateur Boxing Club in Woodsetton.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said of the thefts: “The Trust is appalled to learn of defibrillators recently being stolen.

"Defibrillators that are registered on The Circuit will be used by the ambulance service to direct bystanders to their nearest device within a certain distance if there is someone in cardiac arrest.

"Defibrillators could make the difference between a patient surviving or dying and it is therefore abhorrent that someone would purposely steal such a device from the community.”

A JustGiving page to replace the two stolen defibrillators and increase their security has been set up online at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/uppergornaldefib.