Youngsters at Great Harwood Otters have been presented with two defibrillators.

Mark King and Joanne Galloway from the Oliver King Foundation presented swimmers with the equipment during their latest training session and gave a talk on their importance.

Mr King’s 12-year-old son Oliver, who had a heart condition, tragically died during a swimming lesson in Liverpool in 2011.

Nigel O’Rourke, of the Otters, said a poolside defibrillator could have made “all the difference”.

He said: “A machine like the ones he brought could potentially have saved Oliver’s life.

“Since his death Mark has campaigned tirelessly to councils and the government and he has gained over 100,000 signatures to present to the government urging them to act now and make defibrillators readily available and accessible to all.

“We realised that our swimmers and their families could be well served and benefit from the addition of a defibrillator poolside here at Mercer Hall Leisure Centre.”

Otters club secretary Joyce Miller said their swimmers could now feel safer with the equipment there, available for the wider Great Harwood community. She said: “The Otters were privileged that Mark King could visit our club.

“Mark gave a passion-filled, interesting and insightful talk and then presented our club with the defibrillators we had ordered through the Oliver King Foundation.”

Ward councillors Noordad Aziz, Kerry Molineux and Gareth Molineux attended the evening, along with Heather Alexander from Hyndburn Leisure.

Defibrillator training sessions are now being planned for Otters coaches and leisure centre staff.