A regional daily has launched a campaign which aims to save lives by recruiting 12,000 new people to the organ donor register.

Sheffield daily The Star has launched its Gift of Life campaign to recruit thousands of new potential donors from South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, before the city hosts the Westfield Health British Transplant Games in August.

The paper has highlighted how three people in the UK die each day while waiting for a transplant and it only takes minutes for someone to register so their organs and tissues can be used after their death.

The campaign has been backed by Dave Horner who will compete in the transplant games, after wife Karina gave him one of her kidneys.

Editor Jeremy Clifford said: “The last time the Transplant Games came to Sheffield, The Star was invited to support the event and we received an overwhelming response from readers.

“So having secured the games again, the promoters wanted our backing again, which we were happy to give.

“It does all the usual things about reinforcing our role in the community, but also reminds us that we are the main media player in the region and people look to us for support.”

Dave, Karina and their children Kieran, 13, and Amy, 10, are signed up for a family run at the transplant games in August and Dave will also compete in five different events.

He said: “The last three months before the operation I was managing to go to work but I was exhausted. But from day one after the transplant you just feel like you could run a marathon!

“Some people aren’t as lucky as I am, and I know three people a day die waiting for a transplant. We’ve got to raise the profile of organ donation because people deserve a second chance.”

A new organ donor signed up to the register within two hours of the paper launching its campaign.

Only 31pc of people are on the NHS organ donor register and more than 10,000 people in the UK need a transplant.