Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

Boys in blue see red for police pal

Sue Carr
24/10/2007

THE boys in blue lined up to give blood this week.

Stalybridge bobbies, police community support officers and patrollers pledged to donate in tribute to local PCSO Gary Etchells who was stabbed in the neck last December.

The 48 year old from Glossop lost two thirds of his blood supply in the attack and needed 12 pints and two pints of platelets — the tiny cells which ‘glue’ together to patch up burst blood vessels — to survive.

Without blood donors, the father-of-four would have died.

Gary, who is now back on the beat in Stalybridge, persuaded 14 colleagues to give a pint of blood at a donor session on Thursday.

He said: "In April my wife and I were asked to attend the regional donor awards and there were people there who had been donating for 25-30 years.

"It really came out of that, I thought ‘what else can we do?’

"No matter how well I was stitched up in surgery, without the blood and platelets I wouldn’t have lived. It really is that simple.

"I asked the lads and they agreed.

"They are all based in Stalybridge so it’s really to give something back to the people who gave me so much.

"I just hope people in general will think about giving a small amount of time for what is such a vital service."

Although Gary couldn’t donate on the day having received blood recently, his community beat manager PC Tony Lawton was the first name on the list.

"I was at the hospital with Gary when he got stabbed so I’ve had first-hand experience of how giving blood can save lives," he said.

"I was registered but I hadn’t donated, so this seemed like the obvious thing to do."

Only five per cent of the population give blood and more than 8,000 donations are needed every day.

Anyone aged 17-59, weighing more than 7st 12lbs and in general good health can donate and sessions are held regularly across Tameside.

For details visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0845 7711711.