Time is running out to get your hands on a free defibrillator for your community.

Through the Times & Star Heart Start campaign, 10 defibrillators - worth £750 each - have been provided free of charge by North West Ambulance Service.

Each one can be used in a secure cabinet in the community, providing easy access to life-saving equipment that anyone can be used if someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

Two defibrillators have already been installed and three are allocated with five remaining up for grabs.

But communities only have until mid February to sign up for one.

To benefit from a defibrillator, a community will have to agree a host site with the ambulance service and raise £900 for a secure cabinet to store the machine.

Money does not need to be in place immediately to sign up for the campaign and community fund-raising can be done.

The cabinet would then need to be installed and, one in place, the defibrillator would be delivered.

Once in place, a machine can be accessed by anyone who needs it in an emergency, using a combination code available from the ambulance service.

So far, the campaign has seen machines installed at Ewanrigg and Netherton Community Centre in Maryport and Caspian Flame Grill in Workington.

The Maryport defibrillator has already been called upon in an emergency.

Bill Barnes, chairman of Ewanrigg and Netherton Tenants' and Residents' Association, said: "We were delighted to be able to benefit from this campaign.

"The community worked together to raise the money really quickly.

"It is a great comfort to know that the defibrillator is on hand if anyone using the centre or in the wider community needs it."

To find out more or sign up to the campaign, email sarah.moore@cnmedia.co.uk or call 01900 607631.