THE parish of Mallerstang, near Kirkby Stephen, has won a silver Cardiac Smart award from the North West Ambulance Service.

It follows two well-attended Heart Start training sessions in the village which saw one in every five residents trained in CPR (Cardiac Pulmonary Respiration) and the use of a defibrillator.

Parish chairman and community first responder Annie Hamilton-Gibney was joined by her parents John and Wyn Hamilton at an award presentation ceremony at Bolton, when a celebratory plaque was presented to Mallerstang Parish Meeting by Bob Williams, chief executive of the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

The CardiacSmart award recognises organisations and individuals for their dedication to raising awareness of heart health, basic life support and defibrillators.