STUDENT Aylish Doherty knows how important it is to have the life-saving defibrillators in school after her best friend had a heart attack in class.

And now, thanks to Aylish, her former high school has a defibrillator which is used to shock and restart the heart.

She returned to Little Lever School to see the equipment presented to staff and pupils.

It comes a year after her friend, Alice Brierley, suffered the heart attack when she was in Year 11.

Alice pulled through and is now studying at Bolton College. Aylish, who is studying for A-levels at Holy Cross College, in Bury, wrote to the Hand On Heart campaign, which has given the school the machine.

She said: “It is so important for schools and organisations to have this equipment.

“I am pleased Little Lever has this, especially because my brothers go to the school.”

Alice, aged 16, from Little Lever, added: “Aylish did not tell me what she had done but I think it is brilliant.”

She added: “Defibrillators need to be in easy reach of everyone.”

Six staff at the schools will be trained to use the machine and six pupils will be trained in first-aid.

English teacher Jeanette Robinson said: “I was terrified when I was called to help Alice, but I had learned first-aid at school and went into autopilot.

“I did what I had learned.”

Aylish’s dad, Christopher, who works with organisations teaching first-aid, was administering the training.

He said: “A defibrillator is a life-saving piece of equipment.”