A life-saving defibrillator purchased by a fund set up by two bereaved Llandybie families has been vandalised.

A memorial fund was set up in memory of youngsters Ffion McCrane and James Lilburn by parents Nicola and Colin McCrane and Malcolm and Julie Lilburn to raise awareness after both children died of heart-related complications.

Since the fund was set up some three years ago, a donation has been made to the British Heart Foundation, and the group raised enough money to purchase six defibrillators, of which four are situated in Llandybie and two are set to be put up on Ammanford Road soon.

Both families have been left distraught after discovering that the defibrillator outside Llandybie rugby club has been damaged.

James’ dad Malcolm said: “I am still in shock as it was three years to the day when the damage apparently occurred since the death of my son so it was not the best timing.

“I received a call from a Llandybie RFC committee member to say that the defibrillator box at the club had been damaged and if I could go over and see what had been done.

“The memorial plaque and the protective face mask had been removed, but thankfully the actual defibrillator was undamaged.”

“To date the defibrillator outside the village pharmacy has been removed and taken to patients on two separate occasions as a precaution, although they weren’t used as part of a cardiac event they were available just in case, clearly a nice to have.”

“Having these life saving devices in the village has raised the likelihood of survival considerably from a cardiac event, so it is sad that there is an element in the village that are willing to compromise this.

“I believe that education is hopefully the way forward to stop recurrence of this type of incident and ask that the heads at our local schools try and convey a message to their students that tampering with these life saving devices is unacceptable.”

Llandybie councillor David Nicholas added: “'It's very disappointing that a minority within the community have forgotten why the Llandybie Fund for James and Ffion was set up, and that is to commemorate two tragic young people who were taken from us far too soon.

“Also the damage has ignored the hard work by Malcolm, Julie, Colin and Nicola of the fund have put into raising the money that has paid for what is a piece of equipment that is there to save lives within the community for the residents and visitors."