BLOOD donors from York, Tadcaster and Goole were among those receiving prestigious awards at a ceremony in Leeds.

Donors who have clocked up 75 and 100 donations of blood were given a big thank you from the National Blood Service at the special event.

William Briggs, 70, of Osbaldwick, York, was among those being honoured after giving 75 donations. He has been forced to stop donating because of his age.

Mr Briggs said he was always happy to give a blood donation. He said: "I would sooner give it than receive it. It's as simple as that.

"I started doing it on my National Service, really because we used to get a bit of time off. But then I started up again afterwards and I used to go twice a year.

"It was nothing really, it was just a cup of tea and a biscuit and a sit down, there's nothing to it."

Mr Briggs was receiving a crystal plate along with 27 other donors who have recently made their 75th donation of blood.

These include Joseph Davison, 69, of Tadcaster; John Rushby, 40, of York; Robert Shead, 65, of Strensall, York, and Keith Wilson, 57, of Howden, Goole.

Crystal decanters were also being presented to nine donors who have recently made their 100th - and in one case 500th - donation of blood.

Updated: 09:35 Friday, March 28, 2003