A potentially life-saving piece of kit has been installed in Winckley Square.

Business around the grade-II listed Georgian square have all pitched in to purchase the defibrillator.

Using the equipment can increase the survival chances of someone suffering a cardiac arrest from five per cent to 70 per cent if used within the first few minutes of the incident.

The defib works by using an automated system to give instructions to anyone who opens the box to use it.

Read more: How life-saving defibrillators are being installed around Preston

It is located in the porch of law firm Harrison Drury at 25b Winckley Square and can be accessed between 8am to 6pm on weekdays.

Operations administrator at Harrison Drury Kate Aspinall led the project.

She said: “Winckley Square is at the heart of the Preston business community. We have hundreds of people in the area on any one day and the safety of our community is paramount. We are really grateful to everyone involved.

“The defibrillator is a very welcome addition to the square. Increasing the number of these machines in public areas will increase someone’s chance of living while waiting for paramedics. Hopefully we will never have the need to use it but knowing that it’s available is reassuring.”

Read more: Winckley Square to keep historic conservation status

Other firms who helped pay for the equipment include Brabners, Freshfield, Blue Wren, Eckersley, Handlesbanken, MHA Moore and Smalley, Pascoe Engineering, Begbies Traynor, Anderton Gables, No 15 Winckley Square Chambers and Farleys.