A four-year-old boy who had just days to live has been given a new heart.

A Europe-wide search proved unsuccessful and last week staff at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, were concerned that the boy might not have long to live.

To the relief of the youngster's parents and hospital staff, a matching organ was found in the UK at the weekend, and the youngster was operated on immediately.

Last night, the boy was being closely monitored in the intensive care unit at the Freeman and experts said he was still not out of the danger.

The European search continues, however, for a suitable organ for a ten-year-old North-East girl, said to be desperate for a new heart.

Transplant coordinator Lynn Holt said: "The girl has been waiting several months for a heart transplant and, although she was not in the same situation as the boy, she is still desperate for the operation.

"We also have five teenagers waiting for lung transplants."

This week sees the launch of the Department of Health-backed campaign to increase the number of organ donors, with a national poster campaign featuring an 18-month-old girl whose life was saved by a liver and bowel transplant.

Nationwide, there are about 5,400 people waiting for transplants.

Heart patients wait an average of between six and nine months, and a quarter of them will die before an organ is available