Bride Commissioners have voted to take the village defibrillator out of service - blaming threats and abuse it has received.

Its decision has been branded ‘shameful’ by a woman whose mother had needed to use the life-saving equipment when she fell ill - only to find it had been out of action for almost three weeks.

This was due to a flat battery and a delay in sourcing a replacement.

The incident came as the island’s ambulance service confirmed that only around 30% of registered public defibrillators are currently available for use.

Bride’s defibrillator had been working again after a new battery was installed.

But at this week’s board meeting, Bride Commissioners unanimously decided it would be taking the device out of service with immediate effect ‘until such time as a government or third sector/medical service takes responsibility for the training of guardians and co-ordination of defibrillators across the island’.

In a statement, chair of Bride Commissioners Pamela Kinrade said: ‘The decision has been made partly due to the reaction, abuse and threats that the volunteer guardians and commissioners suffered following the recent incident.’

Lynsey Clague, who went to use the machine in Bride after her mother Helen fell ill but found it was out of action, called for resignation of the chairman and board in wake of the decision.

She said: ‘This shameful action by Bride Parish Commissioners is a deflection from a systematic failure which has occurred in maintaining important lifesaving pieces of equipment.

‘In taking this decision, the commissioners have not acted in the best interests of the parish, its residents and all those who visit our lovely village. The entire board and their clerk should stand down from office.’

She added: ‘A logical solution would have been to outsource maintenance, ensuring the community defibrillator is available to save life 24/7, 365 days a year.

‘The Commissioners have a responsibility to listen to feedback, regardless of whether it is something they do or do not want to hear. As a family, we have personally thanked everyone who provided assistance.’

Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation, which has donated more than 600 of the life-saving machines to various offices, clubs and communities around the island, posted: ‘We do not condone any form of abuse to these guardians and are very disappointed with the outcome.

‘This will only discourage people from looking after them. That being said, the defibrillator needs to be in use and we will immediately put a plan into action whilst speaking to the ambulance service.’

Helen Radcliffe, 76, a retired biology teacher whose former students will know as Mrs Wilson, has Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a degenerative condition that affects balance, movement, vision and speech. She has also suffered a stroke.

Her daughter Lynsey wrote to the Commissioners to express her ‘shock and disappointment’ at discovering the Bride device was unusable, writing: ‘This is not acceptable at any level and could have resulted in loss of life in our small rural village community.’

She and her family raised their concerns with their MHK, Tim Johnston, who contacted the head of the ambulance service, Will Bellamy.

In his response Mr Bellamy revealed: 'Currently only around 30% of registered public defibrillators are available for deployment. Many are showing alerts for expired pads, depleted batteries or devices reaching end-of-life status.

He said automated reminders are sent to each device’s guardian to encourage real-time updates, but ‘compliance remains a challenge’.

In her statement, the Commissioners chair explained the defibrillator has been checked on July 17 and found to be working but when it was checked again on August 17 the battery was dead - although no automated warning had been sent.

The device was marked out of order and a new battery ordered on August 21. Having never had a reason to order a new battery before there was confusion over the type of defibrillator installed and who to contact.

A replacement battery arrived on September 10 and was fitted that afternoon.

Due to recent events and public feedback, St John Ambulance has brought forward the launch of a scheme to ensure that defibrillators are ‘Rescue Ready’.

Guardians of machines can choose from four annual subscription packages depending on their needs.

For further information, contact St John Ambulance Isle of Man on 01624 674387 or email [email protected].