A 'life-saving' piece of kit which could help people suffering traumatic injuries is set to be installed in Wellington.

The town is due to get its own 'bleed kit', a which will include tourniquets and dressings to help people suffering bleeding injuries such as a stab wound.

It is part of a wider project by Avon and Somerset Police who are rolling out 114 kits across the policing area.

The kits are being installed onto the side of existing defibrillators and will be immediately accessible in the event of an emergency.

Avon and Somerset Police’s Knife Crime Lead, Chief Inspector Mike Vass, said:

“We know we cannot police our way out of serious violence, it has to be a partnership approach, not just between us and our partners in health and social care, but also with members of our communities who can play a key part in helping us.

“We employ a number of different tactics to deal with knife crime and prevent it at the source but in the unfortunate event that a person is seriously injured, we hope that these kits will go some way to preventing tragic loss of life.”

The project was first initiated by Clive Setter from HeartSafe, following their successful work in installing public defibrillators across the UK. Clive said:

“I am pleased to announce another public safety initiative for HeartSafe, now partnering with Avon and Somerset Police assisting people suffering major blood loss wounds to receive immediate help from members of the community around them.

“The bleed kits will provide some initial emergency aid to those in need before an ambulance arrives at the incident and will help to avoid a potentially tragic outcome.”

Dr Michael Marsh, NHS England’s South West Medical Director, said:

“NHS ambulance crews and trauma teams do a great job when confronted with a patient who’s losing a lot of blood, but we wanted to go further in those crucial minutes when an ambulance was still on its way. That’s why we’re so pleased to fund bleed kits, so the police and community partners can get them to the right places to save lives – many of them young.”

Wellinton's bleed kit will be installed at the football club on Courtland Road.