Staff at Alnwick Infirmary have received an ECG machine thanks to a national charity. 

Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) handed over the electrocardiograph machine which was bought with money donated by the Presidents' Club Charitable Trust. 

The machine will be used in the Accident and emergency department to assess patients with chest pains, chest tightness or palpitations, or who have inexplicably collapsed. 

CRY regularly makes donations of cardiac equipment to hospitals and GP surgeries. 

Its aim is to raise awareness of the cardiac conditions in young people that can cause Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. 

The charity carries out cardiac screenings and offers counselling to bereaved families. 

Lisa McKee, who works in the A&E department, approached CRY for help. 

She said: "We are very pleased to have been chosen by CRY to receive this piece of equipment and would like to thank Fran Walton from the charity and all its supporters. 

Special thanks to Mr and Mrs Kenny Bowen of Redcar who represented CRY at the presentation."

Experts believes that eight apparently fit and healthy young people die each week as a result of Sudden Cardiac Death - undetected cardiac abnormalities - many of them during or immediately after physical activity. 

Any athlete who has an undetected cardiac abnormality if inevitably particularly at risk.