A BLOOD donor session had to be cancelled in Ilkley last week because congested parking and heavy traffic meant it was unsafe to unload vital equipment into the King's Hall.

NHS Blood and Transplant says the problem of parking its vehicles outside the venue is now so challenging it is seeking an alternative location for its blood donor sessions in Ilkley.

Malcolm Secrett is a blood donor and company director of iBase Media Services Ltd, which is in The Grove, Ilkley. He was one of the disappointed donors who was unable to give blood on Monday afternoon.

He said: "I had an appointment at 2.20pm and arrived and saw the van was outside. I went into the King's Hall and one of the team said they couldn't run the session because they couldn't unload the van.

"It is just unbelievable this has happened – it is so important people are able to give blood at a location that is convenient."

NHS Blood and Transplant’s head of blood donation for the north, Dean Neill, said: "We are sorry we cancelled a blood donation session at Ilkley at the last minute and that some of our loyal donors would have made a wasted a journey to donate.

"We tried to phone donors to explain the session had been cancelled, and asked donors with O negative and B negative blood to attend a session in Skipton instead, as it is more challenging to maintain stocks levels of these groups.

“Our vans carry a lot of heavy equipment to and from donation sessions. On this occasion, the heavy passing traffic and congested parking meant it was not possible for the team to safely unload and transport the equipment into the King's Hall. The location is a challenge for us and we are seeking a more accessible blood donation venue in Ilkley.”

Mr Secrett, 70, of Addingham, is a regular blood donor, who gives blood every four months. He said it was the first time he had encountered this problem. However, the Gazette has previously reported on the parking problems faced by NHS Blood and Transplant in Ilkley.

In August 2014, Bradford Council parking wardens issued the vans with penalty charge notices while they were parked outside the King's Hall and Winter Gardens.

However, a Bradford Council spokesman said on this occasion they provided NHS Blood and Transplant with two permits to enable the services's vehicles to park legally outside the venue.

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