AS HALLOWEEN comes to an end, NHS Blood and Transplant are urging the 65 per cent of North-East residents who have never given blood to face their fears and make a donation.
New NHS research shows that of the region's population who have not donated blood, 30 per cent state they are too scared to do so.
In the North-East the fear of giving blood surpassed a list of widely-known fears, with 19 per cent admitting they are scared of ghosts.
Giving blood was seen to be just as scary as public speaking, at 30 per cent, and being around snakes, also at 30 per cent.
A spokeswoman for NHS Blood and Transplant said: "About 600 new donors are needed every day to keep the country’s blood pumping, so NHS Blood and Transplant is inviting people to come forward and allay their fears by proving that giving blood is not scary.
"There are many myths associated with giving blood, which have resulted in fear.
The main obstacle to donation is a fear of needles with 25 per cent of people from the North-East admitting that they’re scared of the process.
"However, encouragingly, 85 per cent of blood donors have admitted that the process of giving blood was much easier than originally expected proving it was more treat than trick."
Anyone aged 17 or over can visit blood.co.uk or call 0300-1232323 to assess eligibility to donate blood.
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