​Shoppers were being encouraged to join the organ donation register today as a donor bus visited the city.

More than 100 people had signed up by lunchtime, with many more expected to join by the end of the day.

The visit comes ahead of the British Transplant Games in Bath in August, an event which will welcome 1,500 athletes from all over the country who have benefited from organ donations.

Ray Pearson, founder of the Brightside of Life Transplant Charity, who runs the bus and travels around the country in it, said it was a great way to make people aware of the importance of becoming a donor.

Mr Pearson of Nailsea set up the organisation after he lost his 17-year-old daughter in a car accident 14 years ago.

He said: “Her organs went on to help someone else and I met the man who got her heart.

“He couldn’t walk further than a few metres before and now he runs the 200 metres.

“He will be taking part in the games and won the 200 metres in the World Transplant Games.

“I personally believe education about organ donation should be on the school curriculum.

“You are more likely to need an organ than be a donor.”

The bus contains information on organ donation and advice on what to do next.

More than 10,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant, and three people a day die before an organ is available.

Mr Pearson said he was delighted with the response they had had so far and hoped it would be just as successful as when they visited Bath last year and saw more than 200 join the register.

He added: “We have never had a bad day in Bath.

“We hope to get just as many people signed up today and it has been very positive so far.”

Kathryn Neary, 33, who lives near London Road, was among those who joined the register.

She said: “It is something I have been meaning to do for a while.

“It is just one of those things I never got round to.

“It is nice having this here so I could just do it rather than trying to remember.”

Michael Probart, aged 53, who lives off Julian Road said he thought it was an important thing to do.

He said: “When I die, if I leave my body to medical research or organ donation then at least I will be doing some good once I’m gone.

“It costs nothing to sign up and it helps people.

“I would rather be helping someone than just lying in the ground.”

Sunny Kang, aged 29, who also signed up with his wife Manpreet said because he was Indian it was often hard to find matching organs.

He said: “I have always thought about signing up.

“My aunt had problems with her kidney and had a transplant about three or four years ago, but because we are Indian it took a while to find a matching organ.

“There are not enough Indians on the register so I wanted to join.”

The register is a confidential computerised database which holds the details of people who wish to donate their organs after they die.

This information can then be used by medical staff to establish whether a person who has just died wanted to donate. People can still carry a donor card but registering online is a more permanent way of expressing your wishes.

The Chronicle launched a campaign this week to encourage more people to become a donors in the run-up to the Games.

Click here to join the NHS Organ Donor Register or call 0300 123 23 23.