A hero community support officer has raised thousands of pounds to install four defibrillators around south Bucks after one saved his life more than a decade ago.

PCSO Mark Franza, who works at Hazlemere Police Station, has been fundraising for the life-saving equipment for more than a year so it can be installed in central locations in Hazlemere and Flackwell Heath for the community to use.

He launched the project after he attended a call out at the Esso petrol station, at Hazlemere Crossroads, where a member of the petrol station’s staff sadly died after suffering a heart attack.

Mr Franza also had his own life saved by the equipment in 2004 when he suffered a cardiac arrest at the gym.

He said: “If we’d had a defibrillator to hand [at Esso] he might have had a better chance.

“There are a few dotted around here but they are not accessible 24-hours-a-day. 

“All the ones I want to put up are outside and accessible so if someone needs it, they call 999 and get the code to unlock it, and take it away wherever they need to use it.

“There is no point in having the equipment if it isn’t accessible all the time.

“I hope to hear one day that a defibrillator that the community and I have helped to install has saved a life.”

Mr Franza is hoping to install the defibrillators in Hazlemere and Flackwell Heath for the public to use.

One has already been installed at Hazlemere Community Centre, in Rose Avenue.

He added: “We’ve had a few accidents on the crossroads and I thought it’s quite a high footfall with all the shops and petrol stations, etc.

“There are loads of people walking around, driving around. The community centre’s got an old people’s home across the road.

“If something does happen they are there and they easy to access because they are not locked away behind a closed door.”

Two of the defibrillators were donated to Mr Franza by the British Heart Foundation, and he fundraised for the other two, with businesses in the area and Hazlemere Parish Council donating money to fund them.

Mr Franza said he would continue to raise money to look after the equipment as it can cost hundreds of pounds to replace or repair it.

He added: “I will be glad when they are up on the wall so I can get on to the next project, which is to get a drone defibrillator.

“It’s basically a big drone that people can call whenever they need a defib. There is a built-in GPS system so it can make its way to the call and whoever needs it can unlock and use it. 

“It is being trialled in Switzerland right now but it might take a while for me to get it here.”