AMBULANCE workers are appealing for help to make Lancashire the safest place in the world to have a heart attack.

They want to raise £5 million in the next five years to train people in life support techniques and to buy special equipment in one of the biggest projects of its type in the world.

The Heart of Lancashire Appeal was launched after figures revealed that in the county 50 people a week have sudden heart attacks. In many cases, people die because trained life-savers with the right equipment are not on hand in the first vital few minutes.

Emergency services staff will have a better chance of saving patients through the fund which aims to train 300,000 people to recognise and help heart-attack victims. It will also buy 300 defibrillators to be used around the county and 10 fast-response vehicles.

Lancashire Ambulance Service chief executive, David Hill, said: "We want to train thousands of people across the county who will be able to help someone who has suffered a heart attack.

"On top of this training programme we want to put hundreds of defibrillators into public buildings so that the correct equipment is available if it's needed.

"We want to make defibillators as accessible and widespread as fire extinguishers."

Anyone interested in becoming involved can telephone 01772 773144.

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