More than 100 gather for 'essential' CPR training

More than 100 people gathered at a Worcestershire community centre to be taught crucial life-saving skills.

Charity Heartstart Malvern delivered CPR and defibrillation training sessions at Park View community room.

About 80% of cardiac arrests happen to people while they are at home, according to the Resuscitation Council UK, meaning they are likely to be with a friend or family member at the time.

Colin, from Malvern, said he was moved to learn how to administer CPR due to his own heart problems.

The former banker retired early after being told something was wrong with his heart.

He said: "It was strange because I was going to the boxing gym twice a week.

"I didn't have any symptoms but ended up having open heart surgery and the surgeons said if they hadn't found it, I'd be dead."

He was given a new aortic valve and had bypass surgery in 2015, and now wants to use his second chance at life to learn a crucial skill.

Marylin (left) and Colin (right) said it was important to learn the life-saving technique

"What pushed me to come here was, sometimes you don't get symptoms, you could just drop to the floor, therefore it's essential that somebody knows what to do," Colin said.

"Surgeons found my heart condition by accident while they were looking for something else and that's a shocker.

"It shows that anything can happen at any time."

Marilyn said the recent arrival of a defibrillator on her estate prompted her to learn how to use the equipment.

"I thought I best learn how to use that because we see these things around the place with no idea how to use them," she said.