A RESIDENT has been honoured for giving blood more than 100 times.

David Horton, from Binfield, first donated blood in the 1960s and was invited to a presentation lunch in Oxford on Monday to receive his NHS award.

He said: “I personally started donating blood as a student at Loughborough in 1966. I missed out for a few years here and there, due to work and social pressures but once you get into a regular rhythm, it seems to take no time at all.

“Because I have a slightly unusual blood group (AB+), I was invited to step up and give platelets - “liquid gold”.

“I accepted the challenge, even though the nearest Donor Centre with the centrifuge equipment needed is at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

“Every two or three weeks I will spend two hours giving a double donation of platelets - enough for 10-12 donations to children on their cancer ward.” Mr Horton has now called on other people to help out during the holiday season and beyond.

He said: “Some of the population have valid reasons why they are unable to donate “a whole armful” as Tony Hancock once famously quipped but there is a huge number of perfectly fit and eligible adults who could start to donate blood.

“Especially over holiday periods, the need for blood to save people’s lives rises but the general public need to donate in order for the stocks to be available to save lives.”