SCHOOL children  in Warrington will have the opportunity learn how to act in an emergency through a newly launched training programme.
The HeartStart schools programme is a British Heart Foundation (BHF) initiative which teaches children the simple skills that can save lives.
Pupils in all schools in Warrington will be offered the chance to learn how to perform CPR (chest compressions and rescue breaths), deal with choking and serious bleeding, and how to recognise the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
All schools in the borough are being offered the chance to participate in the scheme with the full support of Warrington Borough Council.
The council and HeartStart Wire will provide the training for teachers to become HeartStart instructors.
BHF spokesman Matt Whitticombe said: "Our aim is to provide instructor training for teachers, who then pass on these vital emergency life support (ELS) skills to their students. Every year around 124,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack, and many of them then suffer a cardiac arrest and die before reaching hospital.
"It is vital that we all know what to do to help keep someone alive in an emergency. A bystander, often a relative or friend, with no medical expertise is likely to be the first person on the scene. Learning the simple skills that save lives through HeartStart can make all the difference."
Cllr Colin Froggatt (pictured), the borough council's executive member for children and young people's services, said:  "We're proud to be supporting the HeartStart schools programme. This training will help teachers and pupils in Warrington learn valuable skills that can save lives in an emergency situation."
BHF provides schools with training equipment, teaching materials, and grants for supply cover to allow teachers to attend the instructor training."