Judge Suffolk’s young people by the “shining role models” who helped install a defibrillator in a village green’s former phonebox – not the “stupid” ones who set off a firework in it a few days later.

This was the verdict from a school’s assistant principal after a rocket was let off in the new Beyton defibrillator phonebox on Wednesday, which had been officially opened by MP Jo Churchill on October 22.

“It’s kind of stupid really,” said the parish council chairman Graham Jones. “At some point these sorts of things have to stop because someone’s life could be lost and you never know it might be a friend, a relative or even the person that did it. It’s really nonsensical.”

17-year-old Ruby Last, from Thurston Sixth, had helped get the project of the ground, joining up with the parish council and Beyton Village Association.

“Since the launch we’ve been overwhelmed by the support for the defibrillator project from both Thurston Sixth students and wider members of the community,” she said.

“We’re disappointed that this week somebody has tried to damage an ex-phonebox by throwing a firework inside. It’s so important that the defibrillator stays in working order.

“It might be needed to save someone’s life. We’ve had a training session last night at Thurston Sixth Beyton Campus with 22 members of the village attending and students have also attended the training sessions.”

Police are linking the vandalism with similar incidents in Rougham this week where fireworks were put in two business’s post boxes.

“Due to the close proximity and similarity in these crimes it’s possible they may be connected,” said a police spokesman.

“Anyone with information is urged to call 101 and officers have reminded anyone committing these acts or damaging property in this way they are committing a criminal offence.”

Jean Wheeler, assistant principal of Thurston Community College, said: “People like Ruby are shining lights and the ones leading the way and role models.”

She said a minority of young people got bad press but the majority were “stunningly good”.

A £2,000 National Lottery grant was used to pay for the defibrillator.

Mr Jones has examined the defibrillator this week and it is undamaged, although some electrical wires have been exposed which need covering over.

“Everybody is very positive over what we’ve done,” he said. “Many people have spent many hours in securing this and it is for a purpose that we hope never gets used, but if it does require use we know we’ve got people now trained to pick it up and trained on how it works. We wouldn’t really like to see us fail for the sake of some silly people.”