The family of a teenager who lost his life on a Watford football pitch have donated a defibrillator to the Moor Park golf club he worked at.

Seven years after 19-year-old Daniel Smith passed away from heart arrhythmia, his mother, Gwen Mullins and his sister, Amy Smith, donated a defibrillator to Sandy Lodge Golf Club.

The pair, with the help of family and friends, have been fundraising tirelessly to raise the money needed to install the potentially lifesaving equipment at his former workplace.

Ms Mullins, 56, an office administrator: "We have waited so long for this. Lots of places are starting to install them now. There are a few schools that are getting them, which is so important as you just don’t think young people collapse and die but they do.

"Being back here is comforting. He always made friends wherever he went straight away and everyone loved him. This job meant the world to him, too. He just loved his golf."

Daniel, who studied media at Amersham and Wycombe College, worked in grounds maintenance at the club.

The family used to live in Hill End road, in Harefield, but moved to Camberley shortly after Daniel passed away.

Daniel died after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing football with a group of friends at Watford Grammar School for Boys in 2007.

His 23-year-old sister said: "Defibrillators are so important. If there was one nearby when Daniel collapsed, the chances are he would still be alive.

"For us, that was our motivation. If someone else could benefit and another family didn’t have to suffer like we did, this defibrillator is worth it. Installing this here means the world to us and our family and friends."

The graphic designer added: "It helps us to accept what happened. If we can just help other people it really helps us cope. If someone doesn’t have to feel the heartache we did then it’s worth all the work we put in."

Both Ms Mullins and her daughter joined Arrhythmia Alliance’s Defibs Save Lives Campaign following Daniel’s death.

Defibrillators can dramatically improve the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest and they do not require training.

They can be used by anyone to shock a person’s heart back into normal rhythm if they suffer a sudden cardiac arrest and can increase the chance of someone surviving from nine per cent to 50 per cent when compared to the use of CPR alone.

Trudie Lobban, Arrhythmia Alliance’s founder and trustee, said: "Daniel’s family and friends have worked so very hard to place this defibrillator and it is inspiring that they have channelled energies into this lifesaving cause.

"Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, at any time, regardless of age or fitness levels. Defibrillators need to be publically accessible, 24 hours a day."