Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon today added her name to the organ donor register as the British transplant Games arrived in Edinburgh.

She also met with athletes taking part in the games who have received organ donor transplants when she signed up at Meadowbank Stadium.

Sir Jimmy Savile will officially open the Games later tonight in a ceremony at the stadium.

Earlier in the day, he will lead a parade from the capital's West Parliament Square, along Princess Street, finishing at Princes Street Gardens.

Ms Sturgeon said: "I have always been a supporter of organ donation, but like so many people I haven't got round to adding my name to the register until now.

"I urge everyone to do the same. It only takes a few minutes to do - either on the phone or on UK Transplant website."

The Deputy First Minister said the games show that transplant recipients can go on to live a full life.

She added: "Recent figures show us that there were just 50 actual organ donations in Scotland last year.

"With more than 800 Scots on the transplant waiting list, this emphasises the desperate need to increase the number of people signed up to the register."

Among those she met at Meadowbank were Anna Burnett, 22, from Edinburgh, who had a partial liver transplant at the age of ten and is already the fastest female transplant athlete over 200m in the world.