A policeman who donated his bone marrow to help leukaemia sufferers is encouraging colleagues to follow his lead.

Sergeant Jim Northway arranged for an afternoon clinic to be set up at his workplace by The Anthony Nolan Trust.

The trust aims to recruit potential bone marrow donors and match them with leukaemia sufferers. Thirty-eight police officers and staff attended the clinic on Wednesday, October 19, to sign up as potential donors.

Sergeant Northway, who has been on the trust’s register for over twenty years, became a donor himself in May 2010.

This involved taking a series of injections over a five day period to stimulate his blood cells so that he could donate his bone marrow. He said: "The Anthony Nolan Trust aims to match sufferers of leukemia with potential donors where a bone marrow transplant may be made achievable.

"One day it could be possible that Police officers and staff from Kingston Police that attended the clinic could help save someone’s life by being a potential match on the donor list".

Sergeant Northway plans to organise another clinic next year to recruit more possible donors from the Kingston Police workforce.