A LIFESAVING motorbike is now on the road delivering blood to seriously-ill patients in Basingstoke and across the south.

After two years of fundraising, SERV Wessex, which is run by a team of volunteers called “the bloodrunners”, expanded their fleet with their third motorcycle, a Triumph Tiger 800.

The £8,000 bike will be ridden by the team of 80 lifesaving bikers, who ride across the south delivering urgent blood to hospitals across the region and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.

The cash was raised by charity volunteers, including chairman Dan Brown and Paul Slocombe and his son Andy, who collected donations in town centres, outside supermarkets and at 999 open days at fire stations.

Businesses also helped raise the money by choosing SERV Wessex as their charity of the year.

Every night, three of the bikers give up their time and take to the roads, operating 365 nights of the year and saving the NHS more than £18,000 a year in courier fees.

The new bike will mean that all three bikers could ride on marked motorcycles at any one time, rather than having to use their own machines.

For more information or to donate visit servwessex.org.uk.