The East of England Ambulance Service has announced plans to place 1,000 new defibrillators across the region.

The service has invested almost £1m in the lifesaving defibrillators, which it says will help make a difference in the vital first minutes when a patient goes into cardiac arrest.

The service says it will place the defibrillators in sports centres, village halls, and libraries to assist in helping to save more lives.

Cambridgeshire is set to receive 30 defibrillators in the first bath and it is hoped that all 1,000 will be in position by the end of March.

Anthony Marsh, chief executive of the ambulance service, said: ““I’m delighted that we have started this important project to invest in the communities we serve by improving access to these lifesaving devices in key locations.

“Our ambulance crews aim to arrive at the scene of a cardiac arrest within minutes. However, every second counts and having a defibrillator on scene can make the vital difference between life or death.”