The parents of a late Moray teenager have insisted they will never stop their campaign to create a life-saving legacy in memory of their son.
Keiran McKandie was killed after being struck by a car while cycling on the outskirts of Elgin in March last year.
Police, who were sent to the B9010 near Craigend did not have the equipment to provide treatment for the 16-year-old and it took 27 minutes for an ambulance to arrive from Inverness.
Yesterday, 10 defibrillators – which use electricity to re-start hearts – bearing the name of the teenager were installed in police cars as part of a six-month trial.
Road policing officers have been trained in using the equipment, so they can offer emergency assistance after arriving at serious accidents.
As part of the training, staff have watched an emotional video tribute to Keiran, created by his friends, using clips of the keen mountain biker racing through woodland trails, and set to a moving soundtrack.
And all the defibrillators have been branded with “KDAWG” – a nickname given to Keiran by his fellow bikers.
The Elgin Academy pupil’s parents, Gordon and Sandra McKandie, raised £16,000 to pay for the machines and have set an ambitious target to have them rolled out across Scotland.
Mrs McKandie said: “It’s extremely important to keep going. We can’t allow the status quo to continue.
“I can’t stand back as Keiran’s mum, or Gordon as his dad, knowing he was in that position and the appropriate help was not coming quickly enough. We need to do something about that.
“Keiran would have said: ‘If you believe something isn’t right, thinking about how you’re going to deal with it is not enough, you need to do something about it.’
“I don’t want anyone else to be in the same position.”
During the last three months, more than 50 road policing officers have been instructed in using the defibrillators, which will be based in Elgin, Aberdeen, Inverurie, Mintlaw and Stonehaven.
The family is targeting the Highlands for their next fundraising drive due to its rural nature.
Chief Inspector Louise Blakelock, local area commander for road policing, said: “There were a few concerns from officers before the training.
“Now they’re familiar with it and can see the benefits of being better equipped to save lives.”
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said: “The donation of defibrilla
