Some of the government’s most remote workers now have access to a portable defibrillator.

This is as part of a trial by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.

The lifesaving device will be carried by forestry workers when visiting the uplands, glens and plantations, so they can help out in an emergency.

The idea was suggested by operations manager Joshua Swingler.

He said: ‘Most people who work in towns and cities are never too far from a defibrillator but this is an issue when working up a hill or down a glen.

‘The people carrying it have received training so they could give a colleague or member of the public the best chance, until an ambulance can reach them.’

The trial, which will see the vehicle with the kit carry a sign, could be extended following this trial.

A map of defibrillator locations, which pinpoint exact locations of the life-saving equipment, was published by Manx Care last year.