“Dangerous and shameful individuals” have “put lives at risk” by damaging one of Borth’s public defibrillators, making it unusable.

A regular inspection last week found that the public defibrillator at the toilet block near Cambrian Terrace had been sabotaged, with the key to the unit taken and the pads inside removed.

If anyone had tried to use the equipment during the period before the vandalism was discovered, they would not have been able to.

It is unknown when the incident happened.

The defibrillator is one of two in the village looked after by Borth Community Council after being donated four years ago by the charity Welsh Hearts.

Within the past month, however, one of the life-saving Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) devices was rendered unusable.

Borth community councillor Hugh Hughes said: “A recent inspection of these devices found that not only had the key been removed from one site but the shock pads for the device had also been taken.

“This would render any attempt to use the device useless.

“I hope the individual who removed these items had not fully thought through the implications of their actions.

“Let’s hope that any family or loved ones of the thoughtless, antisocial, dangerous and shameful individual or individuals who sabotaged the device never have need of an AED.”

The council has been in touch with Welsh Hearts, which has agreed to replace the £30 pads for the unit, and the council will be forced to get new keys to secure the unit – a process which will take time – before the defibrillator will be back in action.

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