A Jehovah's Witness owes his life to a machine which reused his blood during a five-hour cancer operation.

Major hospitals in Sussex could now all be equipped with similar machines.

Jehovah's Witnesses famously refuse to take blood from someone else's body, ruling out normal transfusions.

They have raised thousands of pounds to supply the Cellsaver machines to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, St Richards in Chichester and East Surrey Hospital in Redhill.

Members also want to donate one of the £14,000 machines to the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath and hospitals in Worthing and Eastbourne.

Gordon Stevens, from Brighton, was on hand to present East Surrey with its machine.

The 71-year-old was found to have colon cancer last year and had to undergo a five-hour operation at a hospital in Kent.

Because of his religious beliefs he did not want a blood transfusion so a Cellsaver machine was used.

Mr Stevens said: "The machines are not only used for religious reasons. There are many people who are not happy at the idea of having someone else's blood put into them or are nervous about infections so prefer their own blood to be used.

"The machine is an ideal solution."