A health charity has called for pupils at schools in Suffolk and Essex to be taught lifesaving skills to help heart attack sufferers.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) polled more than 2,000 people in the east of England and found that 83% of respondents thought children leaving secondary school should know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

More than 30,000 people suffer heart attacks outside of hospital each year, but less than 10% survive. The charity claims this is due to a lack of CPR skills.

It says heart attack survival rates in the UK are “much lower” than for other countries, such as Norway, where children learn CPR in schools and up to a quarter of people survive.

Debbie Dixon, the BHF’s regional manager, said: “Lives are lost every day because people do not have the skills to act in a life-threatening situation.

“We believe that every child should leave school knowing how to perform CPR. That’s why we need people to go into their local shop, sign the petition, and help create a nation of lifesavers.

“Children learn many lessons in school but what is more important than knowing how to save a life?”

To improve survival rates, the BHF is calling on people in Suffolk and Essex to visit their local BHF shop to sign a petition urging the Government to ensure all children are taught CPR in school.

People can sign the petition by going into their local shop and asking a member of staff. To find your local BHF shop go to bhf.org.uk/map or call 0800 915 7000.