HEROIC actions by children saved their father’s life after using a community defibrillator to save his life on Easter Saturday.

Kevin Scott, 40, was born with his heart and organs on the wrong side of his body, and paramedics were able to talk neighbours through how to use one of Westbury’s two defibrillators over the phone.

Three of Mr Scott’s children were with him when he collapsed at home on Easter Saturday.

His wife Katrina was later told by nurses that her children’s quick actions to run to the nearby community centre to get the defibrillator that saved his life.

They live in Sandalwood Road and she said: “I was out with my eldest, Leyton, in a neighbouring village. Kev was looking after the children. My eight and 11 year olds Jayden and Aiyama were out playing and had come in for a drink. “Aiyama went into the kitchen to find him leaning on the kitchen side and saying nothing. He then collapsed in front of them. They called for Elysia, who is 13 who ran to our neighbours. I was really concerned that paramedics needed to know Kev’s heart is on the other side of his body so Leyton called 999 while we drove home. By the time we got there, paramedics were on the phone, Elysia had run across the road to the community centre to get the defibrillator and it had been used twice by my neighbours to start his heart.

“I am so proud of my children and grateful to everyone else. We were told by nurses that if they hadn’t he wouldn’t be here. CPR wasn’t enough, it was the defibrillator. The ambulance came 10 minutes after so it did save his life.“It is amazing that we have it in our community, I had never heard of it being used for the last two years but it was so important for us.The first week he was in a coma and my children couldn’t go and see him. They were a bit shaken up but now that he has been able to speak to them from hospital they are pretty much back to normal.”

There are five defibrillator across Westbury provided by Westbury Area Board and Westbury Town council. Cllr Gordon King said: “They are life savers and we have placed them so that anyone in the town will be no more than 200 yards from a machine.”

Every week Westbury Town Council check that it still works, in preparation for an incident like this. The Scott family used the Leigh Park Community Centre.

The other defibrillators are available at One Stop Store in Queens Square, Tesco Express on Fore Street, the Westbury Library. A further device paid for privately can be used 24 hours a day at The Laverton.

Councillors heard about the Scott families use of the machine during a council meeting on Monday night in the town.