Emergency machines that could mean the difference between "life and death" will be made available to residents, Sutton Council announced.

The defibrillators have been made available after the authority was accredited by the London Ambulance Service (LAS).

The news was announced on Friday October 10 by Mayor Arthur Hookway who hosted the event as part of the Shockingly Easy campaign set up by the LAS.

As part of the push Sutton Council employees have been trained to use the machines Martin Bullock, the community defibrillator officer at the LAS, stated the importance of the machines and why treatment"in the first three to four minutes" is crucial.

He said: "The machines give very clear instructions on being turned on and will not deliver a shock unless it clearly recognises a heart rhythm consistent with cardiac arrest.

"Around 28 per cent of people survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest but, where there is a defibrillator present, the chance of survival can increase to 80 per cent."

The council is now equipped with two defibrillators,based in the Civic Office and on the site in Denmark Road, and with a shelf-life of seven to eight years and a battery life of four to five years.

Sutton Council leader Ruth Dombey said: "Having a defibrillator close to hand when someone has a cardiac arrest can mean the difference between life and death.

"I would urge every shop, gym, hotel and office in Sutton to get behind the Shockingly Easy campaign today to get a defibrillator installed."

For more information, call 020 7783 2366 or visit londonambulance.nhs.uk/shockinglyeasy.