Teenager arrested after football club’s defibrillator kit vandalised
Buxted FC said the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, was ‘heartbreaking’.
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested after two people were caught on CCTV vandalising a defibrillator kit at a football club.
Buxted FC said the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, was “heartbreaking”.
Footage of the alleged theft was posted on the East Sussex club’s Twitter account and has been viewed more than a million times since Sunday evening.
It came after Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during his side’s Euro 2020 game against Finland on Saturday. The player had to be resuscitated by “defib”, Denmark’s team doctor, Morten Boesen, said.
A Sussex Police spokesman said on Monday: “We are investigating a report of a defibrillator being damaged and stolen at Buxted FC on 13 June.
“A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.
“We’re aware of a video circulating online and would ask the public not to post speculative comments.”
Richard Turner, chairman of the Mid-Sussex League Division One club, said the incident was “absolutely disgusting”.
“Those things save people’s lives and someone has come and trashed it,” he told the PA news agency.
“The whole world saw what happened to Christian Eriksen on Saturday so why would anyone think that’s OK?
“Everyone at the club is a volunteer, we work hard for what we’ve got, but now we’ll have to raise funds to replace it.
“It’s just heartbreaking.”
Mr Turner said that, before the incident, Buxted FC had been celebrating winning the Mid-Sussex League Division One trophy.
