The frontman from The Alarm has used a sell-out show in Otley to rally support for a life-saving cause.

Mike Peters, who scored a string of hit singles and albums with the Welsh rock band in the 1980s, played two nights at Korks Wine Bar last week.

He used the second gig, on Friday, April 5, to raise awareness and recruit potential donors to a cause close to his heart – bone marrow and organ donation.

The singer, who has fought and survived cancer twice, founded the Love Hope Strength Foundation to help him and other musicians sign people up at shows around the world.

Local Parliamentary candidate Councillor Alex Sobel (Lab, Moortown) had been invited to join Mike on the night, and ending up signing up to the register and vowing to support the Foundation’s work.

Mike said: “Having the support of people like Alex is absolutely vital to help us raise awareness of the issues around the Bone Marrow Register and get as many people signed up as possible.

“It was great to see him sign up at Korks with so many others in Otley.

“I was also delighted to meet Andy Burnham – Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary – with Alex, who has also vowed to support the campaign.

“With this sort of support Love Hope Strength can only grow.”

The singer spoke to Mr Burnham in Leeds, and urged him and Coun Sobel to lobby for a change in the rules currently governing the main UK bone marrow register.

As things stand, new registrations here are restricted to people under 30, while other countries including Germany and the USA allow people to register up to the age of 55.

Coun Sobel said: “The work Mike does is absolutely phenomenal and signing people up at gigs is such a great idea. We organise some gigs at the Labour Rooms and we will be working with Mike to sign people up there as well.

“I also want to work with Mike and lobby for the change in the rules so everybody up to 55 can go on the Bone Marrow Register.”