A LIFE-SAVING piece of kit has been put in place at Newton Abbot Town Quay just weeks after a pensioner fell into the nearby estuary.

Urgent steps to stop a repeat of the soggy saga have been taken by members of the town council who splashed out £50 for the life ring.

Cllr Mike Ryan and the council’s handyman Kieran Dore fitted the lifebuoy to railings at the beauty spot, which is becoming a popular destination for locals, last Thursday.

The former mayor said: ‘Two or three weeks ago a lady fell into the water so we put a life ring there just in case something similar happens in the future. Hopefully it will not be needed, but it is there just to be on the safe side.’

Fast-acting locals stepped in and saved the day last month after a woman’s mobility scooter suddenly plunged into the waist-deep water.

It’s believed the pensioner ended up in the estuary by accidentally leaning on her buggy’s accelerator while picking up some litter.

The woman was treated by paramedics at the scene before being dropped home.