A HEART attack victim has slammed critics of a voluntary life-saving group after his firm helped bankroll much-needed new equipment.

Morgan Timber and Boards, based in Park Lane, Kidderminster, has donated the remaining £1,200 needed by Rock Heartstart to buy a defibrillator.

The group, which covers Wyre Forest's three towns and 10 surrounding villages, has launched a first responder scheme which will see volunteers work with the ambulance service to give heart attack victims a better chance of being treated within the all-important four minutes. Derek McCluskey, left, MD of Morgan Timber and Boards, with John Rushton, of Rock Heartstart and one of the life-saving defibrillators.

And Morgan joint chief executive Derek McCluskey, who suffered a heart attack last year, hit back at critics of the project.

Barrie Davies, a former Flying Doctor before the scheme folded last year, and a retired consultant pathologist both launched sceptical attacks through the Shuttle/Times and News letters page last week.

Mr McCluskey said: "The letters were very negative which I think is a shame.

"The hospital has been downgraded and we have got to live with it - at least this group is doing something to support the ambulance service," he added.

"It's a shame when we have got people like this putting some kind of effort and they are criticised by people who are saying it isn't going to work before it's got out of the starting blocks."

The Shuttle/Times and News revealed at the start of the month that the five-year-old group, which trains about 750 district people in life-saving techniques each year, was planning to expand operations to give people who had collapsed and stopped breathing "a fighting chance".

The Automatic External Defibrillator, which will be operated by four volunteers on a rota basis, can monitor the heart and stop and restart it, if necessary.

Heartstart co-ordinator John Rushton also spoke out against the critics, pointing out the group would have the benefit of a modern pager system not available to the flying doctors and that they would not, as claimed, treat accident victims.

But he was "extremely pleased" at the contribution. An order for the £3,000 machine, which is being match-funded by the British Heart Foundation, has now been placed.

Morgan's donation came from company funds and employees' charity pot.

"Anything that can be started to help Wyre Forest area to be self sufficient should be welcomed," Mr McCluskey added.

Dr Davies was on holiday and unavailable for comment as the Shuttle/Times and News went to press.