Dismay as lifesaving defibrillator vandalised and stolen at Ashdown Forest Centre car park

They said the incident happened at the Ashdown Forest Centre car park at Wych Cross near Forest Row.

Ashdown Forest announced the theft on Tuesday, November 26, on Facebook.

Their post said: “This afternoon, we received a report that the defibrillator in the Ashdown Forest Centre car park had been stolen and vandalised. It was found discarded on a nearby roadside and is no longer in a usable condition.”

Ashdown Forest also said they were working with Crowborough Community First Responders to replace the defibrillator as soon as possible.

Mark Pearson, CEO at Ashdown Forest, said: “Defibrillators are costly, life-saving pieces of equipment, and we are saddened to have received this report.

“We are enormously grateful to the Crowborough Community First Responders who have acted with incredible speed to provide and fit a temporary defibrillator. It is an incredible organisation that works tirelessly to respond to emergencies and make sure that equipment is in place so that in the event they are required, they can be accessed quickly.”

The defibrillator was installed in January 2023 and was funded by The Friends of Ashdown Forest and East Grinstead Memorial Estates.

St John Ambulance said the cost of a defibrillator can vary depending on its model and features, but they usually cost between £800 and £2,500. They said the devices can give a casualty’s heart an electric shock if it stops beating normally during a sudden cardiac arrest.