New defibrillators for Sunderland pubs in memory of beloved landlady Christine Devlin

Life-saving new defibrillators have been installed at two Sunderland pubs in memory of a beloved landlady.

Christine Devlin, who ran Last Orders in Rotherfield Road, Red House, passed away in August last year after suffering a heart attack. She was just 59.

Now colleagues and friends have raised more than £4,000 to provide three defibrillators, with Sunderland's Red Sky Foundation providing a fourth.

Equipment has been installed at Vesta Tilley's in High Street West, Last Orders, its namesake pub in South Shields, and Hogarth's, in South Shields town centre.

Red Sky Foundation founder Sergio Petrucci visited Vesta Tilley's to meet manager Louise Bradley and Christine's ex-husband Peter Devlin, who now runs Last Orders, for a formal handover of the machine.

Peter explained pub company Amber Taverns had set out to buy one defibrillator in Christine's memory: "The company did a fund-raising charity night and the money we raised exceeded the price of the defibrillator," he said.

When a customer suggested doing something else to fund-raise, it was decided to hold a sponsored walk between Last Orders and Vesta Tilley's, raising enough to fund another two machines.

Amber Taverns area manager John Munsey said Christine had been 'a powerhouse of a woman'.

"She was an absolute force of nature," he said.

"She was one of the original Amber Taverns managers when the company was created, which is going back at least 20 years.

"She was one of the kindest, most giving, warmest people I have ever met in my entire life.

"She was incredible."

Sergio Petrucci and wife Emma set up Red Sky Foundation three years ago to support the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, after their daughter Luna underwent life-saving surgery.

The couple wanted to express their thanks by raising money to help fund machines, equipment, specialist nursing care, holistic treatment, as well as hosting an annual Red Sky Ball and various fundraising challenges throughout the year.

They have now raised more than £950,000 to support the unit and have branched out to community and educational work, as well funding the provision of more than 400 publicly-available defibrillators across the region.