COURT staff who have been trained as life-savers have been told they must not help heart attack victims if it happens outside their workplace.

People who work in County Durham's six magistrates' courts have been trained to use defibrillators to resuscitate heart attack patients.

But because of red tape the workers have been told they can only save lives if people collapse inside court buildings.

County Durham staff are understood to be among the first court workers in the region to be trained in life-saving skills.

It is hoped that they will eventually form part of the First Responder network of volunteers set up by the North-East Ambulance Service.

As part of the scheme, trained volunteers can be called out by ambulance control if someone has suffered a suspected heart attack nearby.

So far, First Responder groups have been set up in Trimdon, Easington, Blyth and Allendale with plans to expand into Darlington.

The idea is to try to save lives in the vital first few minutes after a heart attack until paramedics get to the scene.

But before the court staff can be called out on an emergency, amblance officials have to iron out problems over insurance.

George Marley, clinical development officer at North-East Ambulance Service, said: "We are very hopeful we will soon be able to activate them as agents of our trust."

Royston Dent, deputy chief executive of Durham Magistrates' Courts, said most of the 100 court staff had been trained to use a defibrillator.

"At the moment there is still an issue about insurance. We are talking to the ambulance service about it and we hope that it will not be an issue for much longer," said Mr Dent