ALL children across the borough could be offered first aid training which prepares them to respond to shootings, stabbings and bombings.

Wigan Council has agreed to ‘explore’ the delivery of first aid training using materials covering Key Stage One and upwards to secondary school pupils.

It comes after first aid lessons were introduced to the national curriculum in September 2020 following recommendations made by Lord Bob Kerslake in his inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing one year on from the attack.

Now Wigan councillors want the local authority to look at using materials developed by charity citizensAid to roll out first aid training in all schools.

The charity set up by four clinicians with the aim of empowering the public to save lives has developed a first aid app and has produced an illustrated book for primary school pupils to teach them what to do in emergency situations.

Labour councillor John Harding said he spoke to trustees of the charity who wish to support Wigan becoming the first local authority to deliver training using information it would provide to all school age children in the borough.

He said: “Sadly, our children are growing up in a world with serious threats to life, incidents such as the Dunblane school shootings, Hungerford, Borough Market, London Bridge and others show that these threats are ever present and will continue to be as our children reach adulthood.

“We owe it to our future adults and to prepare them to be able to keep themselves, their families and friends and the whole community safe.”

Cllr Harding drew on the testimony of Brigadier Timothy Hodgetts, who is a trustee of the charity, at the Manchester Arena bombing inquiry in March.

The consultant in emergency services, who will soon be the surgeon general of the army, told the inquiry about ‘Mog is Coming’, a book aimed at children aged between five and seven with an ‘abstract’ story so as not to scare them.

It conveys the message of ‘run, hide, tell and, when it’s safe to do so, treat’.

Councillor Debbie Parkinson, who is a trainer with the North West Ambulance Service, said first aid training in schools is currently ‘intermittent’.

Cllr Harding said he is aware that first aid lessons are now compulsory in all schools, but he feels that it is ‘sketchy’ and time for training can be ‘quite tight’.

Fellow Atherleigh councillor Debra Wailes, who seconded the motion, said it is not calling for a heightened sense of fear and threat, but ‘quite the opposite’.

She said: “We are not advocating one particular approach as we believe that schools need to look at their own context, expertise and community needs to adopt the most appropriate one.

“We seek instead for our children and young people to become skilled and empowered.”