A life-saving device, which had previously been in use on a gas platform in the North Sea, has been given a new home.

The defibrillator, which is available for the community to use in the event of an emergency, has been installed at Pakefield Church Hall.

With the defibrillator becoming surplus to requirements due to the UK decommissioning of the offshore platforms, an opportunity arose to make use of the device on land.

Rob Clarke, a captain of a jack up ship working on the decommissioning, sought permission for it to be donated to his local church at Pakefield. He said: 'Working with the Parochial Church Council (PCC) we decided to install the defibrillator outside on the wall of the Church Hall off Sunningdale Avenue in Pakefield so that the public would have access to it as well.

'We needed a weather-proof cabinet to house the defibrillator, which turned out to be quite expensive. But we were very fortunate to get help from a wonderful lady – Jayne Biggs and her registered charity 'Heart 2 Heart, Norfolk', which has now expanded to include Suffolk – who kindly donated the box.

'I fitted it on the wall with the help of a local electrician who wired it up, as the box has its own heater to keep the device inside at a workable temperature in all weathers.'

Mr Clarke added: 'Jayne also gives training to people where the defibrillators are located and at Pakefield the PCC hope to invite people to the Church Hall to receive free medical training and to be shown how to use the defibrillator. It is foolproof and its audible instructions tell you where to remove clothing, where to fit the pads and how to activate the device - it tells you everything. It is self-instructing so as long as you listen to what it is saying you cannot go wrong.'

A PCC spokesman said: 'The church hall is very much a focal point in the local area and people using the Church or the hall as well as those from the nearby beach and cliffs can come here to use it in the event of a sudden emergency.

'It could make the difference between a life lost and a life saved.'