WATCH: 100 pints? That's a lot more than an armful! Lifesaver David makes 100th blood donation in Orton, Peterborough

A Peterborough lifesaver was given a huge round of applause as he sat down yesterday – ready to give his 100th blood donation.

Comedian Tony Hancock once famously described the pint donated as ‘more than an armful’ – and David Stevenson has certainly given more than that since he gave his first donation in 1979.

His 100th donation was given at the Christ Church in Benstead, Orton on Thursday afternoon, and the session was briefly paused to give a round of applause to David for his life saving contribution.

Each pint of blood can go to help three people – meaning 300 people could have been helped over the decades from David’s contribution.

He said: “I started way back in 1979 when I was 18-years-old, and I’ve been giving blood ever since then – I had a bit of a gap when I lived in the US, but I carried on after I came back, and here I am today.”

David said it was his father who had inspired him to start giving blood.

He said: “He was a blood donor, and he went on to do 100 blood donations as well. I remember him getting a plate, and he went to a special dinner at some posh doo – I don’t think I’ll get that this time, but I am very pleased to have matched his total.

"I think it is a good thing – it doesn’t cost anything and you can help people, so why not?”

David was particularly pleased to know how many people he has helped over the past 44 years, saying: “It delights me – one of the things you do get now is a text telling you where your blood has been used, my last donation went to a hospital in Stevenage – I don’t know what it was for, but hopefully it will have helped patients there, and that is a really good feeling.”

He also reassured people who are a bit squeamish that the process is painless.

He said: “I wouldn’t worry about it – they look after you here. You don’t need to see anything – just look away, when they are putting the needle in, that is what I do, and it is all very straight forward. The process is very easy.”

Session sister Val Outhwaite, from the Blood Service said those who give blood were providing a life saving service. She said: “It is really, really important for people to give blood, because this is life saving work.

"Each donation can help up to three people, and we are very grateful to our donors, because if they didn’t step forward to donate, there won't be the blood we need in our hospitals.

"We have thousands and thousands of patients in hospitals requiring blood transfusions each day – if you volunteers didn’t step forward, we wouldn’t be able to give the life saving treatments.”

People are urged to book appointments to donate blood – there are sessions held across Peterborough. For more information, visit https://www.blood.co.uk/