Life-saving skills will be taught to the public by emergency responders at a free one-off course in Westbury next week.

Westbury First Responders, who are a five-strong team that attend life-threatening 999 medical emergencies and provide essential care while an ambulance is en route, are holding a free training evening at the Laverton in Bratton Road, Westbury, on Thursday (October 15) at 7.30pm.

There are 314 active Community First Responders (CFRs) across Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire, who attend almost 300 life-threatening incidents every month.

The responders will be teaching basic life-saving techniques such as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation.

Great Western Ambulance Service Wiltshire responder manager Simon Maggs and Warminster-based Emergency Care Assistant (ECA) Justin Whatley will also be at the event.

Mr Whatley said: “I am very passionate about people learning CPR as it is so simple to do and very effective in giving people in cardiac arrest the best chance they can get until arrival of the ambulance service.”

A similar event at the start of the year was attended by more than 40 people.