Father and son in live transplant

David and Stephen Lomas, from Ulverston, Cumbria, were speaking after the NHS's first adult-to-adult "live donor" liver transplant at St James's Hospital in Leeds.

Now surgeons are hoping the technique will offer new hope to the hundreds of people on the liver transplant waiting list.

Student David, 20, said he agreed to being a donor straight away when his father Stephen, 51, asked him. "I didn't know what he was talking about at first and I thought he meant he wanted me to get some liver from the butcher," he joked as he sat by his father's bedside.

David was released from hospital just a few days after the operation 11 days ago in which he donated 60% of his healthy liver to his father.

His fiancee, Joanna Blatt, was understandably concerned about the procedure but he only had his father's health in mind. "The only thing that scared me was that all the tests I had to have would show up something that would stop me donating," he said.

David was told that after a few months rest his liver should grow back to 90% of its former size and regain all its previous functions.

Mr Lomas, who became ill about three years ago, was diagnosed with advanced liver disease after a series of tests, He described his son's gesture as "tremendous".

Consultants in Leeds have already undertaken another "live" transplant since Mr Lomas and his son's surgery, which took place in adjoining theatres with Leeds' four liver transplant surgeons present.

The team believe the development of the surgery on the NHS will have a significant impact on waiting lists.