GREAT-grandmother Anne Westaway will be donating her 70th pint of blood later this month.

Anne, from Shobrooke, near Crediton, is keen to reach the milestone before her 70th birthday in June.

She will then be just five pints away from getting a crystal plate at a National Blood Service ceremony.

"I first gave blood in 1970 because I wanted to do my bit," said Anne, a volunteer driver for Age Concern.

"It's good to give blood because the health service so desperately needs it — especially mine, which is the most common blood group, O."

She believes all people who don't faint at the sight of blood or needles should donate, if they are eligible.

"I try to encourage others to give blood and I mention it all the time," she said. "I wish more people would think about it."

Anne's brother, John Salter, gave more than 50 pints before he had to stop for health reasons, and her daughter-in-law, Caroline Westaway, who lives nearby, is also a donor.

Anne is a former farmer's wife, nurse and shopkeeper, and has three children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Now a widow, she has given blood regularly, with a small interruption for health reasons, and has no plans to stop.

She received bronze, silver and gold awards for reaching the milestones of 10, 25 and 50 units, each of which is just under a pint.

Anne used to go to Hayward's School in Crediton to give blood, twice a year, but now she goes to the Boniface Centre in Crediton three times a year.

"It's quite a meeting place," she said.

"You also have chance for a chat because you have to wait a while sometimes."

Anne will give her 70th unit at her appointment on Monday, March 29.

Craig Taylor, a spokesman for the National Blood Service, part of the NHS Blood and Transplant service, congratulated Anne.

He said: "Getting to 70 pints is a fantastic achievement.

"The next milestone we formally recognise, with an award ceremony and a crystal plate, is 75 pints, but only three percent of donors get that far."

He encouraged other people to follow Anne's example and donate blood. He said: "It really is a life-saving thing to do. Each donation takes just an hour but can save up to three lives.

"We're coming up to Easter, which is a good time to think about donating. We see numbers start to drop around now, as people go away on holiday, and that puts pressure on us because the hospitals still need blood."

The NHS needs 7,000 voluntary donations of blood every day and the National Blood Service collects two million units of blood each year from 1.3 million donors.

Only four percent of the eligible population are active blood donors.

For more information about giving blood visit www.blood.co.uk.