A NEWLY-married North Yorkshire pub landlord and landlady have shunned the usual wedding gifts in favour of getting a defibrillator to save lives in their local community.

David and Wendy Humphreys, landlords at The Stiddy pub in Lythe just north of Whitby, asked their guests for money for charity instead of gifts.

At the time of the wedding in January they didn’t know exactly what for, but after watching a real-life emergency services programme on the BBC where someone had a heart attack and was saved by the use of a defibrillator, it became clear where they thought the money could best be spent.

To save the villagers of Lythe having to undertake fundraising for the machine, the couple donated the money and contributed themselves to make up the difference.

The defibrillator now has pride of place on the front wall of The Stiddy.