TRANSPLANT patients in Bolton are taking part in a drive to encourage more donors to come forward.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the organ donor register and, as part of the anniversary celebrations, UK Transplant is aiming to add one million names to it.

To publicise the campaign, people who have received life-saving transplants are being asked to sign a giant thank you card dedicated to all past donors.

Those in Bolton whose lives have been saved include 10-year-old Amy Morris, fathers Robert Hodgkiss and Jason Whittaker, teacher Dave Clarke and schoolgirl Emma Standish.

Mr Hodgkiss, aged 38, of Bromley Cross, is signing the card and has also recorded his story for radio broadcasts.

He received a heart from a donor in 1996, just nine months after the birth of his daughter Bethany, now aged nine. He also has a six-year-old son, Adam.

Mr Hodgkiss said: "Words can never express how grateful I am for what that person and their family did for me. Its enabled me to live a fairly normal life.

"I was a fit and active person and suddenly became very ill. You never know if you are going to need those people who register with Transplant UK and I would urge anyone who is thinking of putting their name down, to do it sooner rather than later."

In the North-west, there are more than 500,000 people on the register, with 18,377 people adding their name during the last five months.

All transplant patients are being invited to sign the card and also comment on what a donated organ has meant to them.