A TECHNICAL hitch in organising a blood donor session at British Aerospace in Warton, cost the Lancaster Blood Centre an estimated 140 pints of blood.

The centre which usually banks around 1,200 units of blood each week from donors in Cumbria and West Lancashire, lost nearly 12 per cent of its weekly takings.

Donor organisers are hoping to recuperate lost stocks by holding an emergency publicity drive.

Alf Hattersley, in charge of coordinating donor sessions, said the centre collects just enough blood to satisfy demand and has little surplus stocks for emergencies.

Mr Hattersley added: "We've contacted a lot of donors reminding them about the sessions and they have responded wonderfully.

"By the end of the week we hope to have made it up. We have gone a long way towards recovering it.

Mr Hattersley refused to say what the technical error had been but stressed it had been eliminated and would not cause sessions to be cancelled again.

Blood donor sessions will be held in Preston today (Thursday) and next Wednesday (August 7) at the Avenham Suite of the Guild Hall, 2-4pm and 5.30-7.30pm.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.