A coastal life-saver will be 'launched' on Tuesday - thanks to a collective effort by a clutch of local businesses and charities.

North Norfolk District Council chairman Benjie Cabbell Manners will do the honours as Sea Palling celebrates its new defibrillator.

The machine, which administers a controlled electric shock to the chest or heart when someone becomes ill, will be accessible throughout the year at the seaside village.

The idea for the defibrillator came from the East of England Ambulance Service and the equipment was bought with donations from the Sea Palling with Waxham Community Trust, Sandy Hills Amusements, Kettle Foods and the Jacqueline Kaye Memorial Fund.

The Ambulance Service and the British Heart Foundation provided training in the village hall for 10 local volunteers, all at no charge, while the district council paid for the installation of the equipment and will ensure that it is has power to keep it fully charged and ready for an emergency.

Andrew Barlow of the East of England Ambulance Service said: 'If it saves one life it will have been well worth doing.'

Trevor Ivory, the district council's cabinet member for localism and the big society, said: 'This is a great example of the big society in action. Local people have come together, with the generous support of businesses and other organisations, to do something really positive for their community.

'We all hope that the defibrillator will never need to be used but, like the lifeboats, it is reassuring to know that it is there in case of emergency.'

Sea Palling beach is already the holder of a Blue Flag, and in two years having a defibrillator will become a Blue Flag requirement.