One of Hampshire's biggest employers has provided more than 34,000 residents with better access to life-saving defibrillators.

A £16,000 donation by ExxonMobil, which runs Fawley refinery, has enabled four of the devices to be installed in Hythe and other parts of the Waterside area.

The locations have been chosen because of the large number of people and vehicles that pass by.

They include include Long Lane in Holbury, the road through Calshot, Fawley Road near Netley View Post Office, and a site next to Ewart Recreation Ground in Jones Lane, Hythe.

Powered by solar energy, the devices will be used to treat people who suffer a cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart stops.

An ExxonMobil spokesperson said: "Research from the National Institute of Healthcare and Excellence (NICE) states that one of the most important factors which influences survival between cardiac arrest and defibrillation is time.

"Defibrillation within 3–5 minutes of collapse can produce survival rates up to 50–70 per cent."

Alan Alvey, chairman of Fawley Parish Council, added: "The parish council is very grateful to ExxonMobil Fawley for providing two new defibrillators for the Fawley community.

“They are in positions where you can pull up in a vehicle, grab the defib, and get going. The locations chosen are areas where there were previously no defibrillators available.”

Richard Rastall is ExxonMobil Fawley's site safety, security, health, and environment manager.

He said: "At ExxonMobil Fawley, health and safety is at the core of what we do and, having been trained in using defibrillators myself, I know just how important they can be in an emergency."

“Across the UK, there has been a significant drive to increase the number of defibrillators available in community spaces, and we are glad to help ensure that these lifesaving devices are there for residents and visitors where they’re needed most."

The Fawley petro-chemical complex occupies a 3,250 acre site on the western shores of Southampton Water.

The first refinery was established in 1921 by the Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies (AGWI) Oil Company. In the early 1950s it was rebuilt and extended by ExxonMobil, becoming the largest refinery in the UK.

The site employs more than 2,500 skilled employees and contractors and supports about 2,000 supply chain companies.