Fishpool Hill Defibrillator Cabinet Vandalised – A Rare but Disappointing Incident

We’re disappointed to report that the community defibrillator cabinet at Fishpool Hill, Brentry - installed only last month - was broken into earlier this week. Fortunately, the defibrillator itself was not stolen, but the cabinet was forced open and left damaged.

The incident took place on Monday 9th June at approximately 15:50.

CCTV footage shows two individuals walking past the cabinet, with one of them making a clear decision to approach and force it open. While they ultimately left the defibrillator in place, the cabinet was left insecure and is now in need of repair.

The footage and stills are being shared below.

The incident has been reported to Avon & Somerset Police, and we hope someone may recognise the person responsible. If you have any information, please contact the police directly - or feel free to email us via our contact form, and we’ll make sure it’s passed on.

This incident is especially frustrating given how recent this installation was - completed in May 2025 after a dedicated group of local residents came together to make it happen.

Fishpool Hill is a small, semi-rural neighbourhood, and the defibrillator was funded entirely by people living nearby. One resident even offered the wall of his self-built home to host the unit - a generous and practical gesture to benefit the whole area.

Simon, the founder of Defibs4Bristol, has already arranged and paid for the replacement locking parts, which are now on their way to the site’s guardian. The defibrillator is currently offline until new parts can be fitted. The site’s guardian has attended and secured the cabinet as best as possible in the meantime.

“It’s incredibly disappointing,” said Simon. “This is a close-knit community who came together to do something positive. Thankfully, incidents like this are incredibly rare - we’ve now installed 56 defibrillators across Bristol, and this is one of the only cases like it. We don’t want people to be put off from hosting a defibrillator. But it’s a reminder that public equipment, even life-saving, isn’t always respected.”

We also want to avoid feeding unnecessary fear - the media can sometimes magnify incidents like this and give the impression that vandalism is common. In truth, the vast majority of our defibrillators remain untouched and supported by the communities they serve.

Thank you again to the residents of Fishpool Hill for your support and quick response. We remain committed to ensuring your defibrillator is secure, operational, and ready to save lives - just as it was intended.