Defibrillators have been installed at 60 Hendy Group dealerships across the south and southwest, following £36,000 investment.

Hendy Group property manager John Hendy said the widespread installation across all sites was a sensible precaution for the company to protect everyone who comes into physical contact with the business.

The defibrillators are being installed in a central position in all dealerships and facilities to enable a swift response for anyone in need, the group said.

Hendy said: “Colleague welfare is a huge priority for us at Hendy so anything we can do to protect them in a working environment where they spend a lot of time is important.

“We hope that none of these defibrillators are never needed but by having them in our facilities we know that anyone in need will have the best treatment available immediately.”

The installation process has included training videos for colleagues and posters highlighting where they are positioned.

The news follows Nissan Motor GB announcing the sale of its 13 owned West Way sites, where Hendy Group will acquire the Southampton business.

In the latest AM News Show podcast episode, Hendy Group's head of marketing Vicky Hart and Ian Godbold, marketing director at Cambria Automobiles, shared insight into how they fine-tuned their car retail businesses’ exposure to car buying consumers amid an accelerated shift to online retail, the impact of disruptors including Cazoo and Cinch and the escalating cost of living crisis.