ONE of Swindon’s favourite dog trainers has spoken of her disappointment after a decision to increase the cost of defibrillators hampered her fundraising plans.

Janet Garret, of Janet’s Puppy Skool, has for the past few months been raising funds to put defibrillators in schools, something she considers vitally important.

Haydon Wick-based Janet said: “I heard about two ladies who had formed Swindon Heart Safe, a group campaigning to get defibrillators fitted in all schools in Swindon, and I wanted to help.

“It was shocking to hear that lives were being put at risk, especially children’s, through want of a little piece of machinery.”

Each defibrillator costs £435.37 and Janet, along with friends and colleagues at Janet’s Puppy Skool, went on a concerted fundraising drive to see if they could help.

They initially set out to raise enough money to buy four defibrillators.

However, thanks to the generosity of everyone involved, they managed to raise an impressive £2,175, enough, they believed for five life-saving machines.

Two of Janet’s grandchildren attend Peatmoor Community Primary, which already has a defibrillator, so she decided to make one of the donations to Red Oaks, in North Swindon, where another grandson, Chester, attends as a pupil.

“We absolutely smashed it and were thrilled to be able to buy five defibrillators,” said Janet.

But then, completely out of the blue and after Janet and a trusty band of helpers had given cheques to the schools, staff at Tadpole Farm received an email saying the price of the defibrillators had gone up and, as a result, the school was now £79 short.

This also had the knock-on effect of meaning they didn’t have enough money for the five machines.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard they had put the prices up,” said Janet. “A child dying for want of a defibrillator is completely unacceptable and it’s no good if they just keep hiking up the price.

“It has taken us so much hard work to get this amount of money together and to find that we may have lost it all by a few days is heart-breaking.”

Unwilling to ask the schools to make up the difference, and to ask people for even more money, Janet is hoping that the NHS service Supply Chain, which provides defibrillators for schools, will waive the fee and honour the price which was originally agreed.

On Friday, Supply Chain was unable to provide a comment but the company has agreed to look into the problem and will let the Adver know of its decision this week.