A Chester hotel has apologised after denying use of a life-saving defibrillator to a man having a suspected heart attack.

The Chester Grosvenor cited 'internal miscommunication' as the reason the defibrillator was not made available to people helping an elderley man believed to be having a heart attack.

The incident took place in the Grosvenor Shopping centre on Sunday at about 1.30pm, and saw member of the public Nathan Roberts rush to the aid of the man.

He took to social media to say: "I was in the shopping centre next to the hotel, when I walked past and elderly gentleman who looked unwell.

"After speaking with the gentleman’s wife and with himself I realised that he was having a heart attack, a member of staff from the shopping centre called the emergency services while I went into the hotel to ask for their defibrillator.

"Upon asking for their defibrillator I was told that I couldn’t “lend” it.

"First of all you don’t lend a defibrillator, you use it to save someone life regardless of who’s property it is, if you are unwilling to provide life saving equipment to someone who needs it then shame on you and I hope that you or a member of your family never finds themselves in a situation like this."

The post has been shared over 10,000 times.

Mr Roberts thanked the Blossoms Hotel for letting him use its defibrillator to potentially save the man's life.

He described the Grosvenor actions 'disgusting'.

A statement from the Chester Grosvenor said: “The hotel has always made its defibrillator available to the local community when requested, many times over the past year.

"We apologise unreservedly and we deeply regret that, on this occasion, an internal miscommunication resulted in its use being denied. The defibrillator will continue to be made available for use in all emergency situations."