Ballyclare-based Hagan Homes has installed a life-saving Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) at its Tides development in Carrickfergus.

The installation of the device, which is an essential life-saving tool that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest, comes as new homeowners begin to move into The Tides.

It is the first homebuilder to offer the device in one of its developments and The Tides' defibrillator will mark the beginning of a roll-out among Hagan Homes' other up and coming sites.

The move comes as Northern Ireland MLAs have been urged to make defibrillators more accessible across Northern Ireland.

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The British Heart Foundation has made the plea to Stormont officials following news Westminster is to consider a bill to make the devices more accessible to the public in Great Britain. No such bill has been considered here.

At the last count there were just under 1900 defibrillators across NI.

According to the British Heart Foundation when a person suffers a cardiac arrest, early CPR and defibrillation can double their chance of survival.

James Hagan, Founder and Chair of Hagan Homes said: "We have always maintained that our developments are not just about building houses, they’re about building homes and communities where people can feel safe and build lives.

"We've taken this view one step further by installing a defibrillator at our Tides development in Carrickfergus where our final residents are about to complete the moving in process.

"We want to help people who suffer from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, to give them time in the case of a life-threatening situation because the first few minutes are crucial in an emergency. We believe by offering this piece of equipment, which we hope will not need to be used often, our homeowners have peace of mind in their new homes."