Black cabs in Oxford are to carry military grade emergency bandages that can help prevent someone bleeding to death following an accident.

Each cab will display a window sticker that shows the public or emergency services they can flag them down and utilise the kit in the event of a trauma or major incident.

The kits, which are donated by Oxfordshire charity Rapaid Emergency, have been distributed across the city centre to the Covered Market, High Street, independent cafes and bars, and Oxford University college lodges.

Rapaid is supporting the Government’s recent proposals to improve the safety of public spaces and work environments following terrorist incidents and failings highlighted in the Manchester Arena inquiry.

Following a successful campaign in Manchester, 200 black cabs there are now carrying emergency bandage kits.

Charity founder Alex Chivers, a Special Forces veteran and former police firearms officer, aims to distribute bandage kits in particular to venues and crowded places.

Alex said: “With a serious haemorrhage you can bleed to death in under five minutes - time literally does save lives. I knew that a solution had to be simple enough for the untrained public, and easily accessible to find in those initial few moments.

"It made perfect sense to use the same pressure bar bandages that I carried while serving in the military - these bandages are still carried worldwide by the military and emergency services."

Rapaid’s intervention has been welcomed by Thames Valley Police violence reduction unit who are consulting with Rapaid about its possible roll out across the Thames Valley.

Sajad Khan, secretary of the Oxford Black Cab Association COLTA, said he was proud they were supporting the initiative.

“Black cabs are an iconic trusted taxi with a legacy of supporting the community. The cabs that are carrying the bandages will be in and out of key locations across the city including the night-time economy, outside bars and clubs where serious incidents can often occur.”

Helping to distribute the kits are two of Rapaid’s patrons, Figen Murray, who tragically lost her son Martyn in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017, and Travis D. Frain who was injured in the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017 and suffered a serious bleed caused by a laceration.

He said: “It cannot be underestimated just how significant the deployment of these emergency kits is, and how much of a difference they will undoubtedly make. I would hope that they are never needed, but the reality is that these kits will save lives, and not just those affected by acts of terrorism, but also for those impacted by knife crime, freak accidents, and a whole range of other incidents.”

The University of Oxford security services will also now carry the kits in their vehicles as they patrol the city day and night and they have additionally been deployed in community centres in areas of Oxford that have seen recent cases of knife crime.

Cllr Louise Upton, Oxford City Council’s cabinet member for safety, said: “I hope we never need to use these bandages, but if we do, then stopping a massive loss of blood could make the difference between saving a life of not.

Rapaid have managed to bring together organisations across the city, to get bandages into many locations. Let’s get the message out so that everyone knows they are never far from these lifesaving devises. This is a great initiative, thank you Rapaid!”

More information can be found by heading to the website www.Rapaid.org