FIRST Aid training for businesses owners and workers in Dorchester are helping to make the town an even safer place.

The Dorchester Bid (Business Improvement District) is holding the second of two fully subscribed training workshops in life-saving first aid this month.

In the two sessions 24 people working in town shops and businesses will be trained in how to deal with a range of situations from administering basic first aid to responding to potentially life-threatening injuries.

The workshops are delivered by BID levy payer Everycare Wessex, which co-sponsors the event.

Trainer Dave Foster said: “We started doing these courses for our fellow Dorchester businesses last year as a result of an approach from Bid.

“We were delighted to be able to help and it’s such a great opportunity to spread some basic skills that might actually save a life or make a difference to someone having the misfortune to be taken ill or have an accident.”

The workshops include an introduction to the use of defibrillators after the Bid gave three machines to the town last year.

Project director for Dorchester Bid, Phil Gordon, said: “Dorchester is already a very pleasant and safe town to come visiting or to regularly shop in, but now we have a really impressive number of first aiders in town and qualified defibrillator operators.

“I think it’s rather nice to have the peace of mind knowing that if someone got into difficulties in town, there is a very strong network of support around to help.”