The Lancashire Evening Post has been singled out for praise from health secretary John Reid for its successful organ donor campaign.

And the MP was so touched after reading in the paper about the anguish of people waiting for a transplant that he signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register himself.

Launched in March, the Evening Post’s Have A Heart campaign aimed to get an extra 1,000 people to join the donor register.

But it has been such a runaway success that the original target was doubled within a month, and more than 3,000 donors have now signed up.

The health secretary said: “The organ donor campaign run by the Lancashire Evening Post has been an outstanding success.

“I have nothing but praise for the fact that so many new people have been encouraged to sign the organ donor register.

“I believe that the campaign will ultimately make a very real difference to those people in the Preston area who are awaiting a donor organ and the transplant operation that will lead to a better quality of life.”

Since the campaign launch the paper has regularly carried features looking at the plight of people waiting for life-saving transplants and the success stories of patients whose lives have been turned around after finding a match.

Evening Post editor Simon Reynolds said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response to this campaign.

“It just shows once again that newspapers, with the support of their readers, can make a real impact in their communities.

“In this case, it is literally a matter of life and death and some of the people who have been inspired to volunteer will indirectly help to save peoples lives. This is a fantastic achievement.”

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