Garden centre apologises for removing defibrillator

A garden centre has reinstalled a defibrillator after a "huge backlash" over removing the life-saving equipment from its premises.

Southport Saviours Foundation, which donated the device to Dobbies' Southport branch, said the firm removed the machine as the pads and batteries had expired.

Its founder Richard Moore said he was told by its head office it was "struggling to keep tabs on expiry dates and pads in every store... so the easy answer was to remove all defibrillators from the stores".

Dobbies said it was a "wrong decision" and apologised.

Moore has been campaigning for 24-hour accessible defibrillators and providing first aid training throughout the Southport area since he had a heart attack and cardiac arrest in 2022 whilst running the Blackpool Marathon.

He said his life was saved by a defibrilator, and that to be told one had been removed because of an administrative problem was "very, very tough to hear".

He said the batteries in the one at the Southport garden centre would have cost about £240 to replace.

"We want lifesaving equipment in public places. It's not a big ask," he added.

Moore said Dobbies' decision to remove the equipment was "disappointing" and a "massive step in the wrong direction".

Moore said the defibrillator being reinstalled did not feel like a win, and that he believed the U-turn was only because of the "huge backlash" from the Southport community and beyond on social media.

"It's a lot of charity time invested running round sorting out defibs, cleaning boxes, sending emails."

A spokesperson for Dobbies said: "We sincerely apologise for this error and acknowledge that we got it wrong.

"This was addressed as a priority, and I can confirm that a new defibrillator was installed at our Southport store.

"Thank you to the Southport Saviours Foundation for raising this with us."

The spokesperson added all stores that had defibrillators would be keeping them.

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