Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust has said they feel like they have 'an additional member of the crew' - after St Austell Brewery funded £15,500 for a new ventilator.

The Hamilton T1 Transport Ventilator was paid for through the generosity of the Cornish brewer, famed for pub favourites Proper Job and Tribute.

The new bit of kit has already proven useful, and positively impacted the air ambulance missions across Cornwall, where patients had serious difficulty breathing.

It can be used in treating medical conditions such as cardiac arrests or asthma, as well as helping with certain injuries such as neck fractures or injuries to the chest or torso.

In such cases it helps to ensure oxygen is reaching the brain, as damage caused by a lack of oxygen is often irreparable.

Paramedic Stuart Croft, said: "The ventilator has significantly improved the care we can give on scene.

"We used to have to juggle carrying the patient on a stretcher back to the helicopter, sometimes over several fields, as well as trying to breathe for them using the old squeezable ambu-bag and potentially trying to administer CPR.

"Now the ventilator provides breathable air for the patient.

"But it is more than just an extra pair of hands. It is like having an intensive care ventilator with sophisticated monitoring, which means it's more like an additional member of the crew that provides a reliable basis for treatment."

The donation for the new equipment was made through St Austell Brewery's Charitable Trust, which has raised over £600,000 for local individuals and organisations since its inception in 2003.

Trustee Ian Blunt said: "The air ambulance is such an essential part of our way of life down here in Cornwall and it is amazing to think that it is entirely funded through charitable donations.

"We're delighted to have been able to make a difference to their operation and to assist the crew in the line of their incredible everyday duties."

Each year, the Cornwall Air Ambulance team carry out around 700 missions throughout Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

As a charity it relies on donations from individuals and businesses to carry out this lifesaving work. You can find out more about the work of the air ambulance and how to give your support here.