KINGSWINFORD residents have been left shocked and stunned at the disappearance of two lifesaving defibrillators from the village.

Fundraiser Rachel Dingle, who raises money to fund defibrillators in the community, was "extremely upset" to discover one of the lifesaving pieces of kit had been stolen from the walls of Penn Models in Moss Grove.

Rachel, from Wolverhampton, has been campaigning and fundraising for defibrillators since the tragic death of her brother Alex Brown in 2015 who died suddenly after suffering a cardiac arrest.

She said: "The cabinet was forced open and the defibrillator has gone.

"I can’t even comprehend who would cause this damage and steal such a valuable life saving piece of equipment.

"Fundraising for this set up costs £2,000 which takes a lot of hard work. I fundraise to install public defibrillators in communities to save lives; to stop people going through the heartache my family lives with everyday.

"I lost my fit and healthy brother Alex at the age of 25 to an undiagnosed heart condition."

She said the campaign to put defibrillators in the community is Alex's legacy and she warned "undiagnosed heart conditions, heart attacks and cardiac arrest can happen to anyone of any age and at anytime" as she issued an urgent appeal for the return of the vital piece of kit.

She added: "Surely saving someone’s life is worth more than the cost of selling it."

The incident has been reported to the police and members of the public are being asked to check CCTV in the area to try to find out what happened to the defibrillator or who has taken it.

Anyone with CCTV filmed near to Penn Models in Moss Grove is urged to review their footage and send any evidence to the police and Rachel, who campaigns and fundraises under the name CRYALEX, urged people to keep their eyes peeled, adding: "There is a chance this defibrillator may have been dumped."

A spokesman for charity AEDdonate, which supports the placement and use of community defibrillators across the country, said: "We're absolutely devastated a defibrillator has been stolen from Kingswinford.

"A local business owner spotted the cabinet door open and the defibrillator missing. We have no record of the defib being activated by the ambulance service and there is significant damage to the cabinet.

"A community are now missing a vital link in the chain of survival that could mean the difference between life and death."

Another defibrillator located at Kingswinford Royal British Legion also went missing this week. Community members are uncertain whether it was used and not returned or whether it was stolen and they are urgently appealing for its return.

People are urged to come forward if they have any information about either of the defibrillators.

A crime reference number has been given for the theft of the kit outside Penn Models - 20DY/150107E/20 - and can be used to report information to the police.

Meanwhile - a fundraising appeal has been launched to help fix the damaged cabinet in Moss Grove and buy a replacement defibrillator if the original cannot be found.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so via the AEDdonate Facebook page.