THIEVES have put villagers in "real danger" after a lifesaving piece of equipment was stolen.
The Public Access Defibrillator (PAD), placed in a cabinet outside Gibb and Evan's Butchers in Effingham last year, was discovered empty on Saturday, March 2.
The equipment, which can deliver a shock to restart a heart in cardiac arrest, is worth £1,100 and the theft comes after a similar device was taken from Bookham High Street in January.
Craig Chitty, of the Effingham and District First Responders, who installed the Pad, said the incident had made him "lose faith in what we have worked hard to do".
He added: "I don't know if it's a related incident to what happened in Bookham or if it has been done on the spur of the moment, but these are the only two stolen in the whole of the South East.
"I have heard that you can sell them online but it must be incredibly difficult for them to do so I cannot see how it can be financially motivated.
"It's really sad that someone has done this. It's a mindless deed and will be of no benefit to those who stole it, and has put people in real danger."
The Lifepak 500 defibrillator was originally used by the Effingham and District First Responders, which provides medical support in remote areas before an ambulance arrives.
It was then decided to install the equipment in the centre of the village in an unlocked cabinet, making it instantly accessible to all residents.
Mr Chitty continued: "The decision we now have to make is whether or not to buy a new one. We do not want to replace it and have it stolen again.
"We could have a key for the cabinet but that would miss the point of it being available in an emergency.
"Defibrillators are vital pieces of life-saving equipment and the installation of this one was made in good faith that it would be safe and enable local people to use it to save more lives.
"We have spent a lot of time and effort raising money and our equipment, and it really makes you lose faith in what we have worked hard to do."
A defibrillator is a life-saving machine that gives the heart an electric shock in some cases of cardiac arrest. This is called defibrillation and can save lives. Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops pumping blood around the body. When someone has a cardiac arrest, defibrillation needs to be prompt. According to the British Heart Foundation, for every minute that passes without defibrillation, chances of survival decrease by 14 per cent. Research shows that applying a controlled shock within five minutes of collapse provides the best possible chance of survival. Craig Chitty, of the Effingham and District First Responders, said: "Evidence clearly indicates that early defibrillation alongside effective CPR significantly increases the survival rates of patients suffering a cardiac arrest in the community. "The importance of members of the public learning life-saving skills and the role Pads can play in the vital minutes before the arrival of ambulance clinicians in saving people's lives cannot be underestimated." Anyone with any information is urged to contact Surrey Police on 101, quoting crime reference number PB/06/2318.
