Defibrillators appeal success after Wolverhampton death

Jon Smith (right) said Rupert Jones (left) had been a friend for more than five years

A man has raised money to pay for two new defibrillators at a music venue after a friend's death there from a suspected cardiac arrest.

Jon Smith, from Wolverhampton, held a fundraising concert in December at local venue KK's Steel Mill where Rupert Jones, 35, collapsed and died two months earlier.

Mr Smith said he raised about £4,300.

The funds will also cover training in how to use the devices, and a donation to the Midlands Air Ambulance charity.

Mr Smith, 32, who runs a production company that provides lighting and sound to artists and their shows, said he had known his friend, whom he called "Pug", for more than five years.

He said his death had been a "traumatic thing to go through".

He said when Mr Jones collapsed, one of his team made a "desperate dash" around all the businesses and shops near the venue on Frederick Street, but found "despite there being thousands of shoppers visiting the area every day, not one had got [a defibrillator]."

A number of bands agreed to take part in the fundraising concert at KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton

Following his friend's death, Mr Smith said his company would make it mandatory for every employee to have first aid and defibrillator training.