Schools in the east are being urged to help nurture a nation of lifesavers by taking part in Restart a Heart Day.

More than 150,000 children and young people across the country learnt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the same day last year.

And secondary schools are being urged to sign up for East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) staff and volunteers to teach lifesaving skills to students.

Restart a Heart Day is on Monday, October 16 and involves every ambulance service in the UK, the Resuscitation Council, the British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross and St John Ambulance.

Around 30,000 people go into cardiac arrests outside of hospital in the UK every year, which means they are unconscious and have stopped breathing. If this happens in front of a bystander who starts CPR immediately, the patient's chances of survival double.

Simon Marshall, one of EEAST's community partnership training officers, said: 'We are really excited about taking part in the country's biggest mass CPR training event, which will help to equip the next generation of lifesavers.

'The majority of cardiac arrests happen in the home so by learning CPR, these youngsters could one day save the life of someone they love and will hopefully share what they have learnt with their families.'

The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest drop 10% a minute if CPR is not started, and survival rates are currently less than one in 10 people in this country.

To sign up to Restart a Heart Day, click here.