JOE Porter got the habit for giving blood nearly half a century ago.

As a young trainee military policeman doing National Service he remembers being "volunteered" for a blood donor session back in 1960.

"There was no tea and biscuits and a sit down afterwards, I think we were sent out on an assault course," joked Mr Porter, 65, who lives in Winston, near Darlington.

A posting to Germany, which coincided with the tensions around the building of the Berlin Wall, meant that Joe's next blood donor session involved the German civilian health service.

"I just felt it was something you could do to help others. You never knew when you might need blood yourself, particularly at that time in the Army," he said.

Over the years, Mr Porter kept going back to give more blood, fitting in donor sessions around family and work commitments.

"I always marked the blood donor sessions in my diary and tried to get back for them," said Mr Porter, who worked most recently as a salesman for an animal feed company.

His determination to keep on coming back was recognised by the National Blood Service which invited him to ceremonies to mark his 25th, 50th and - last year - his 75th donation.

"It was very nice. We were invited to a reception at a big hotel in Newcastle," said Mr Porter, who has three commemorative lapel badges to his credit.

Mr Porter cannot understand why more people do not give blood because, these days, he reckons it is completely painless.

"There's been a huge improvement in the way blood is taken. I can't tell people to go but it is certainly a painless process and well worth your time," he said.

Mr Porter is delighted that his grown-up son and daughter, Graham and Susan, also give blood on a regular basis.