A BLOOD bike volunteer was the guest speaker at the latest meeting of Darlington Rotary club.

Gary Loader, who is one of over 100 volunteer drivers with the charity Bloodbikes, brought his bike into the foyer of the Dolphin Centre to show members how the vital service works.

Blood Bikes covers the area from Berwick to Darlington and across to the Cumbrian border with riders providing a 365-day a year out of hours service delivering urgent supplies of blood, plasma and other products to hospitals.

All of the volunteers are trained and have Advanced Driving skills to ensure the safety of the riders.

The powerful bikes are stored at ambulance and fire stations for easy access.

Since the service began in the region in 2014 the fleet has grown to eight motorcycles and three cars.