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Leeds blood donors have thrown their weight behind a world record attempt with the power to save countless lives.

The British charity behind the attempt to secure the most donations in a single day has said giving blood is one of the "easiest and best things" a person can do.

The #GlobalBloodHeroes record bid, organised by Muslim social justice charity Who Is Hussain? in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, aims to save 150,000 lives around the world.

Donors from 350 health centres in 23 countries joined forces to give blood on Saturday.

Castleford man Carl Etherington gave blood in Leeds during the #GlobalBloodHeroes record bid campaign. Picture: Who Is Hussain/PA Wire

Participating locations in Britain included Leeds, Birmingham, London, Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Who Is Hussain? trustee Mohamedali Gokal said: "It's one of the easiest and best things one can do.

"So many people, myself included, have a slight fear of needles, which is really normal, but it is just a tiny prick and then doesn't hurt at all after that.

"There are trained phlebotomists and clinical nurses around the whole time and you just sit for a few minutes and then it's done.

A donor in Luton lends his support. Picture: Who Is Hussain/PA Wire

"Just by doing that, just giving up a few minutes, you could save three lives. It's incredible."

Who Is Hussain?, which is a registered charity in England and Wales, was founded in 2012 and has teams in 60 cities across the world.

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According to the charity, one in four of the people giving blood in England as part of Saturday's campaign was a first-time blood donor.

Carl Etherington, from Castleford, was among those who gave blood and said the atmosphere at the donor centre was "brilliant".

The 33-year-old: "It is a great cause. I watched the [charity's] video last night, and, even though I might be of a different background [to the recipient], ultimately, blood is blood.

"The more you donate, the more lives will be saved. No matter what your background, you must try to contribute to society."

The current world record is 35,000 units of blood donated in a single day, set in India in 2020.

In the next few days, blood donor organisations around the world will confirm how many #GlobalBloodHeroes donors took part.

The final total will then be confirmed by the leading verification body, Official World Records.

Visit www.blood.co.uk/ to find out more about donating blood.

Leeds blood donors join #GlobalBloodHeroes drive to save 150,000 lives