PATIENTS who suffer a cardiac arrest may now have an even better chance of survival in one Oxfordshire village.

Villagers in Marcham, near Abingdon, have welcomed the arrival of their second defibrillator; a life-saving machine capable of jolting a person back from the brink of death.

It was installed outside Marcham Primary School earlier this month, joining an existing defibrillator already in place at Marcham Village Shop.

South Central Ambulance Service's divisional commander, Dick Tracey, said he was 'extremely pleased' with the new addition.

Mr Tracey launched a campaign with the Oxford Mail in 2014 to rally support for more of the machines in Oxfordshire, earning himself the nickname 'Mr Defib'.

He said: "I was really pleased to hear Marcham was getting a second. It's not a particularly big village but people should not ought to be more than 10 minutes away from a defibrillator. I am certain this will cut down the time to get to one, which is really positive.

"When I launched this project three years ago, I would never have imagined how many places would be installing them by year three. There is an enthusiasm in the community to acquire them."

The defibrillator was funded by Marcham Parish Council at a cost of about £2,500.

Its chairwoman Ruth Mander, who lives in the village, said: "It's there just in case. The school seemed like the logical place to put it."

She said many of the schoolchildren have already had defibrillator training, but will be a session scheduled in the future for other people to learn how to use it.

The defibrillator is located on the other side of the village to the current one.