traffic dangers have forced nurses to abandon a new blood donor centre at Oxford Town Hall, although the new venue attracted double the number of donors.

The National Blood Service opened at the town hall earlier this year, with help from former Big Brother contender Stuart Hoskins and Oxford United player Joey Beauchamp.

But buses and other traffic in St Aldate's made it unsafe for staff to load and unload equipment for the monthly sessions.

Donors are now being asked to return to the former centre, at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre, in Littlegate Street, St Ebbe's, which the NBS left last year because too few people attended.

NBS spokesman Jude Pamington said: "It's a shame, because we had so many more donors at the town hall. It was more accessible to the public."

Donors give one pint at a time and Ms Pamington said 100 to 130 pints would be received at a normal session.

But at the last blood donor session, in St Ebbe's, on Tuesday, only 43 people gave blood, compared with 105 at the town hall in February.

Staff are now searching for another city centre venue which will entice shoppers to drop in.

Ms Pamington said: "We call people to the sessions, but we do hope others who are walking by may have an hour or so to spare and pop in. Once they have given blood once, they may come back again."

Anyone who can offer an appropriate city centre venue for blood donor sessions or would like to become a donor, should call 01865 447939.