CHRISTINE Jefferies and her father Percy Smart have donated a total of 127 pints of blood together and they reckon that puts them amongst the most prolific of donors in Swindon.

Christine, 49, from Stratton St Margaret, has been boosting the national blood banks since she was a teenager, giving 65 pints over the years. She has yet to miss a National Blood Service donor session.

She said: "It feels fantastic and I am totally hooked. I used to donate twice a year. Now I can do it three times. Knowing you are helping to save lives makes it all worthwhile, so the more often the merrier."

She decided to follow in her father's blood giving footsteps after discovering she shared the same rare blood group Rh D negative.

Her first pint was given in the Wootton Bassett Memorial Hall, where Percy gave blood for 31 years.

Percy, 89, from Wootton Bassett, started giving blood when he worked at the Great Western Railway in 1954. He said: "It was a good break from work because they gave you tea and biscuits. So I carried on giving until I hit 65 and they could not take any more."

Although Percy can no longer donate, his granddaughter, Jade, 13 Christine's daughter hopes to keep up the family tradition. Jade said: "My mum really enjoys being a donor. It will be brilliant to join her."