THE North-East's first friend-to-friend live kidney transplant appears to be a success, organ donor Derek Marshall has revealed.

Mr Marshall, 56, who donated one of his kidneys to lifelong friend Bill Brough, 54, on Wednesday, was speaking from his home in Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, yesterday.

"They have done tests at the hospital and the kidney is working all right," said Mr Marshall, who went home from the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, at lunchtime.

"It is brilliant news, isn't it?" he said, still feeling slightly groggy from the anaesthetic.

After a seven-hour double operation carried out by two teams of surgeons, the first thing Mr Marshall did when he woke up on Thursday morning was to go to see his old friend.

"I walked up to the ward where Bill was recovering. I shouted over to him 'Are you OK?' and he said 'I'm fine,'" said Mr Marshall.

Only 12 hours after the operation Mr Marshall said his friend told him that he felt better than he had for 14 months.

Transplant experts are hoping that the generosity Mr Marshall has shown to his friend will encourage others to consider live donations at a time when waiting lists for organ transplants are getting longer.

The two men have known each other since they were pupils at Whinney Banks Primary School, Middlesbrough.

Businessman Mr Brough, who lives near Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, became ill two years ago during a trip to Mexico, where he developed legionnaire's disease.

After he recovered he was told he would need dialysis for the rest of his life unless a suitable donor could be found.

Mr Marshall, who was his friend's best man and is godfather to his two teenage daughters, offered him the life-enhancing organ.

Unlike kidneys obtained after death, those from live donors do not need to be a close-tissue match.

As long as the donor is fit and healthy and is from the same blood group as the recipient, the transplant has a good chance of success.

Mr Marshall said he felt a "bit of pain and a bit queasy" when he woke up, but he was amazed at how well he now felt.

Mr Brough is expected to be allowed home for Christmas.