TWO former neighbours have celebrated picking up a haul of medals at the British Transplant Games, a year after the pair both received life-saving operations.

Steve Deakin and John Spencer both underwent kidney transplants last year.

Now the pair, from Great Sankey and Whitecross respectively, picked up five medals at the British Transplant Games in Lanarkshire.

John, captain of the Royal Liverpool Transplant Sports Team, and manager Steve have been friends for many years after undergoing transplants when they both lived in Whitecross.

Steve, who was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2009 and carried the Olympic torch through the town ahead of the 2012 games in London, had his third kidney transplant in June 2016 after a six-and-a-half year wait.

The 56-year-old, who picked up one silver and two bronze medals in swimming, said: "I've been going to the transplant games since 1985 and I've been managing the team for 11 years, although it's my last year managing them this year.

"I was really made up with how I performed after receiving my third transplant only last year, although it really pushed me.

"My second kidney lasted me 21 years and in that time I managed to swim the channel twice, get an MBE from the Queen and run with the Olympic torch."

John had his second kidney transplant in March last year after two-and-a-half years on dialysis.

The 51-year-old had his first kidney transplant in 2009 before a pancreas transplant in 2010.

At his sixth transplant games, John picked up two bronze medals in squash and badminton.

He added: "If people would take a transplant then why not donate their organs when they pass away?

"There aren't many people who would say they didn't want an organ one if they were in a position where they needed one."