Mrs Doreen Williams, who has suffered from failing kidneys for five years, desperately needs a transplant and her older sister, Mrs Margaret Orrell, has stepped in to save her sister's life.

The pair's kidneys are a perfect match and they are currently waiting for a date for the transplant.

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Doreen (40) had been told she would only have five years to live on nearly daily dialysis and in constant pain without the op.

Margaret (45) is as a cleaner at Burnley Post Office, wife to Kevin and mother of Paul (26) and Diane (23).

She said: "We have always been close and there was never any question in my mind. Really, there was no way I wouldn't do it."

Doreen lives at The Spinney with husband Paul and daughters Nicole (16), Rebecca (11) and Hannah (5).

She said: "There are big risks involved, but you have to stay positive and hope for the best. I will be in intensive care for a week after the transplant and could reject the kidney, but this is the best chance I have."

Doreen suffers from IgA nephropathy, a kidney disorder that occurs when a protein that helps people fight infections settles in the kidneys, weakening the immune system and leading to kidney failure.

The sisters and their eldest daughters completed a 10-mile walk crossing every bridge in central London in aid of Kidney Research UK and raised £1,000.