JEHOVAH'S Witnesses, who believe it is wrong to have blood transfusions, have donated a machine to their local hospital which allows blood to be recycled.

Yesterday, a Cell Saver 5 machine, worth more than £11,000, was handed to medical staff at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

It was the latest blood recycling machine to be bought by Jehovah's Witnesses for use in North-East hospitals.

While it is of particular benefit to Witnesses, it can also be used by other patients.

Blood recycling machines are increasingly common in the NHS in a bid to conserve reserves of blood.

It allows a patient to get his or her own blood back by retrieving, cleaning and recycling red blood cells lost during surgery.

Three years ago, the Witnesses formed a fund-raising group, chaired by Hartlepool businessmen John Davey, and soon had enough to buy two of the machines.

One has already been donated to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Witnesses in the north of the region have also purchased machines for hospitals on Tyneside.

Edmund Davey, a spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses in the region, said: "For many Witness patients, this represents an acceptable alternative to blood transfusion. However, we had in mind the wider benefits to the whole community, and are pleased to assist the hospital in recognition of the support and co-operation that doctors and surgeons have provided to us in accommodating our religious beliefs."

Surgeon Nigel Corner said: "I am very grateful for this generous donation. The Cell Saver machine will allow surgeons to re-use a patient's own blood during major surgery. This will be of enormous benefit to many patients and not just to Jehovah's Witnesses."