A Selby leukaemia victim who was given the gift of life by his sister has held a celebration party after being told by doctors he is in remission.

After learning the news that he was on the road to recovery, Simon White dashed to his sister's home and presented her with a locket inscribed "Thank you for the gift of life".

Heather Parker, 42, defied all the odds when she proved a bone marrow match for her brother Simon, from Temple Hirst, near Selby.

The transplant operation was carried out at St James's Hospital in Leeds in May - and now six months later the father-of-three has been told it was a success and he is in remission.

The relieved family celebrated with a party on Saturday night at Simon's local, the Wheatsheaf at Burn.

He said: "It's been a long wait, but it was a fantastic moment when they told me I was in remission.

"I'm now looking forward to Christmas because there were many times when I didn't think I would see another one.

"It was a one in a million match. It's amazing and I can't believe how lucky I feel to be alive."

Simon, who lives with his partner, Sarah Dobson, and children Robert, 16, Victoria, 14, and Michael, 12, at Temple Hirst, must now wait five years before he is given the all-clear.

He said: "I'm still on tablets so my body doesn't reject the cells, but I'm feeling a lot better and getting stronger by the day.

"The doctors are pleased with my progress, although I still have to go back to hospital once a week for a blood test."

Simon, a contract manager with North Yorkshire County Council, underwent more than 80 chemotherapy sessions to wipe out his immune system before he was ready to receive his sister's healthy cells.

Heather said: "I had to inject myself in the stomach twice a day for a week to generate cell production before spending four hours on a machine to extract them.

"We've all been living on a knife- edge since the operation, and it hasn't sunk in yet that Simon's in remission - it's like winning the lottery.

"When he gave me the pendant, I just broke down in tears."