THE Deputy Prime Minister has today backed Daily Echo calls to make defibrillators more widely available.

Romsey and Southampton MP Caroline Nokes asked Nick Clegg about the issue after 16-year-old Mountbatten School pupil Sam Mangoro's life was saved thanks to an on-site defibrillator.

The Daily Echo has launched the Save a Life in Schools campaign to urge all Hampshire schools to purchase the life-saving tool and Ms Nokes took up our cause at Prime Minister's Questions.

Ms Nokes said: “Last week one of my constituents Sam Mangoro collapsed during a PE lesson and his life was saved by four teachers using a defibrillator.

“What steps are being taken to encourage our schools to make sure they have defibrillators available?”

Mr Clegg replied: “Many members across this house have come across such incidents in schools and sports clubs and have been promoting the need to make defibrillators more available. I think we should all work with these charities and community groups to raise the profile of this important issue.”