A man has given a stranger the gift of life by donating his kidney.

Since the law was changed 10 years ago, 500 people have donated the organ to a stranger as a living donor – and one of those was Bob Wiggins from Kings Langley.

The 61-year-old donated his kidney in 2013 at Guy’s Hospital, London, and he has since become chairman of Give a Kidney charity, which aims to raise awareness of donation.

Mr Wiggins said: “There are currently more than 5,000 people waiting for a kidney in the UK, and around 300 people die each year in need of one.

“We're encouraging everyone to consider if you could share your spare. Many people still don't know that any healthy adult can volunteer as a living donor.

"As a result of people like us donating, many hundreds of lives have been changed for the better.

"Not only that, but together this group has already saved the NHS tens of millions of pounds over the cost of keeping the recipients of their kidneys on dialysis treatment.”

All healthy adults can donate a kidney and a kidney from a living transplant is the best treatment option for patients with kidney diseases.

Lisa Burnapp, lead nurse for Living Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Nearly three hundred people died waiting for a kidney transplant last year.

“Living donation is highly successful, and hundreds of people have had their lives saved and transformed in reaching this milestone over the past decade, thanks to the incredible generosity of these donors.

“Through donor chains, up to three people can benefit from a single donation because it can trigger a chain of transplants. The more people who are willing to consider donating in this way, the more kidneys there are available to help everyone waiting for a transplant.”