A crematorium has installed equipment that could save the life of mourners.

East London Crematorium in Plaistow, operated by Dignity, has raised funds for a defibrillator through its charity partner the British Heart Foundation.

A defibrillator is a device that can save a life by giving a high-energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest.

Crematorium manager Toni Slade said: “Every minute without CPR or defibrillation reduces a person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest by around 10 per cent.

“We will always call an ambulance but wanted to do everything we possibly can to provide immediate help. Our partnership with British Heart Foundation has enabled us to purchase a defibrillator to be located at the crematorium for use during an emergency.”

This comes following two deaths at other crematoria in the UK, with mourners suffering heart attacks whilst attending a funeral.

Dignity appointed the British Heart Foundation as their charity partner in January 2017, and has raised over £450,000 for them by hosting fundraising events.

Donna Stokes of the British Heart Foundation said: “We thank Dignity for their commitment to the community and the money they have raised to fund life-saving research that helps keep more families together.

“Defibrillators need to be available in areas of greatest risk – such as where crowds gather; a location where people are naturally anxious or under stress or possibly somewhere that an ambulance may take time to reach due to traffic congestion or distance from a hospital – so a crematorium meets all of these requirements.”