Buxted FC: Vandals smash defibrillator kit after Eriksen collapse

Vandals smashed a football club defibrillator kit hours after Danish international Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in a game.

Buxted FC in East Sussex said the damage, caught on CCTV in the early hours of Sunday, was "disgusting".

Footage has been posted on the club's Twitter account and viewed more than 1.4 million times.

Sussex Police said officers have arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

Club chairman Richard Turner condemned those responsible.

He said: "I feel absolutely disgusted that people would do something like this to equipment that would save someone's life.

"Now the club hasn't got one until we get a replacement, so lives are at risk."

The vandalism happened hours after Christian Eriksen collapsed during his side's Euro 2020 game against Finland.

He was given prolonged treatment on the pitch before being taken to hospital where he is now recovering.

'Trashed'

Mr Turner said before vandals struck, Buxted FC had been celebrating winning the Mid Sussex division one league trophy.

He said: "The whole world saw what happened to Christian Eriksen on Saturday so why would anyone think that's ok?"

Actor Martin Kemp retweeted Buxted Football Club's CCTV footage and described what happened as "the pits".

"I rarely get upset, angry or surprised by people's behaviour but this is the pits," he said.

"I hope they will be disgusted with themselves when they get caught."

Mr Turner said the local community had rallied round and many people had offered to help install a new defibrillator.

"Social media has been brilliant, it's amazing what people can do when people come together," he said.

South East Coast Ambulance Service has loaned a defibrillator to the club "for as long as it's needed".

Another offer of help came from the Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation, which was set up after the death of the Leyton Orient manager following a cardiac arrest in 2019.

Fundraiser David Sullivan, who is on a 1,000-mile charity journey from one end of Britain to the other teaching people how to perform CPR while raising money for defibrillators, also volunteered to help the club.

Sussex Police's chief constable Jo Shiner urged anyone with information to come forward.

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