A VILLAGE phonebox has taken on a new lease of life - and could save lives in years to come.

Strensall's traditional red phonebox now houses a defibrillator, and the village hall will host a defibrillator training event on Thursday, June 16 at 7pm to make sure people in the area know what to do in an emergency.

Parish councillor Judy Smith said: "When BT decided it no longer had a purpose for the phonebox, the parish council were quick to respond and adopted the phonebox for the princely sum of £1.

"I came up with the idea of using it to house a defibrillator, something I had seen elsewhere and as a former nurse, appealed to me and I approached our ward councillors to see if they could help with financing the health equipment."

The village's ward councillors Paul Doughty and Helen Douglas said they were very pleased to use ward funds help save the phonebox from becoming a "lost heritage" and help people's health in the village.

They added: "While we hope there is never a need for the defibrillator to be used, it could one day help to save someone's life and that would make it an investment well made."