Christopher Fryer from Brede Hill, Terence Knight from St Leonards and Barry Wellard from Hastings, were among 181 dedicated blood donors to be honoured by the National Blood Service (NBS) at the Donor Awards Ceremony.

They received crystal plates at the event in recognition of their achieving 75 blood donations.

Guest speaker Julie Henderson, who received blood after an emergency c-section, presented the blood donors their awards.

Zeeshan Asghar, from the NBS, said only three percent of donors reach their 75th donation, while less than one percent make it to 100 donations.

"We are proud to reward these incredible people, these silent heroes, who have rolled up their sleeves so many times over the years to help save lives," He said.

"Only four percent of the eligible population donate blood so the majority of people are indebted to these individuals who selflessly give their time for the benefit of others."

For more information about donating blood call 0845 7711711 or go to www.blood.co.uk.