A Bunnings Warehouse manager has forced its Dunedin store to give away a potentially life-saving defibrillator after staff raised $1300 to buy it.

Bunnings warehouse. (File picture) Source: Breakfast

The Otago Daily Times reported Bunnings New Zealand manager Jacqui Coombes had visited the branch and said the defibrillator, which was bought by staff after one of their colleagues died of a heart condition, had to go.

She is quoted as saying that, as a group, Bunnings did not allow defibrillators in its store because of associated maintenance costs, as well as the necessity of having staff trained to operate the units.

Members of the branch's social club had raised the $1300 to buy the unit about three years ago, and a petition was signed by most of the staff to keep it, but a staff member told the ODT it was ignored.

The unit will be given to a community group, but it is not clear which.

When contacted for comment, Bunnings said it had "nothing further to add".