Morrisons has won a St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes award for installing life-saving defibrillators in all of its 494 stores.

The £500,000 initiative funded by the retailer’s charitable arm, Morrisons Foundation, has saved at least five lives since it began a year ago.

First aid charity St John Ambulance named the supermarket winner of the Workplace Heroes category in its annual awards, which celebrate those who stepped forward when it mattered most to help people with first aid, to support communities and have a positive impact on health.

Defibrillators can dramatically improve the chances of a patient surviving a cardiac arrest, when combined with CPR.

As part of the initiative, Morrisons also arranged for more than 2,300 employees to attend sessions on how to use defibrillators and give CPR run by St John Ambulance volunteers.

Gary Mills, group retail director of Morrisons, said: “We hope it’s reassuring for customers, colleagues and the local community to know that we have defibrillators in Morrisons.

"We have staff trained in first aid and CPR, but a defibrillator boosts a person’s chances of survival in the event of a cardiac arrest so we’re pleased to have them in our stores.”

Mark Farmer, director of first aid services, St John Ambulance said: “This huge undertaking by Morrisons to keep people safe has already reaped the rewards of lives saved and is a most deserving winner of our Workplace Hero award."

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