Exmouth's mayor Steve Gazzard has spent the week signing up new organ donors – honouring a promise he made to his daughter Sarah.

Campaigners from Exmouth's Organ Donor Campaign, run by Steve Gazzard, have been present in the Magnolia Centre all week as part of National Organ Donor Awareness Week.

The Exmouth group are celebrating signing up almost 6,500 donors since starting to campaign in Exmouth in 2012.

Steve's daughter, Sarah, died in 2012 while on the waiting list for organ donation.

"In 2012 my Sarah needed a double lung transplant. Her condition deteriorated and she was taken to Harefield Hospital in London and placed at the top of the national transplant list but unfortunately a set of lungs did not become available," explained Steve.

"Sadly she died on November 12, 2012. She was an organ donor before it became apparent she needed a transplant. She donated her organs and was able to save the lives of three people that had only two weeks to live.

"When Sarah was still with us we started the campaign here in Exmouth and we promised to continue to campaign and fight for a change in legislation."

From Spring 2020 a new law will come into force, known locally as Sarah's Law, which places everyone in England on the organ donor register. People who wish not to donate their organs will be given the option to opt out of the scheme.

Steve believes people's attitudes towards organ donation are changing, he said: "When we started it was a different atmosphere. Seven years down the line people are much more willing to talk to us and you see much more about organ donation in the media and on TV.

"For me it's the promise I made to Sarah and I just love doing it now, it's fantastic to meet new people and talk to them about helping others. If you're thinking about donating your organs come and see us, talk to us. We don't force anyone to sign up, we're just here to answer people's questions and explain the benefits.

"Everyone's into recycling now, plastic, glass etc. Organs can be recycled too, not donating just seems like a waste to me. I'm very lucky to have a merry band of helpers, without their help and support we would not have achieved what we have."

Town crier and fellow organ donation campaigner Roger Bourgein said: "6,500 is the highest number of people to sign up to the register in any town of a comparable size to Exmouth.

"We do it because we are passionate about the cause and because England has one of the worst records for organ transplants in Europe."

Organ and tissue donation is giving your organs and/or tissues to help save or improve the lives of others when you die.

One organ can save or transform the lives of up to nine people. Tissue transplants can also significantly improve a person's quality of life. This might be a cornea to help someone see again, a replacement heart valve to treat a heart defect, or skin to treat severe burns.

If you would like to find out more about organ donation, click the red button below.