BLOOD donors are continuing to give pints of the red stuff, even after free pints of the black stuff dried up, writes Anne-Marie Walsh.

Guinness's parent company Diageo has stopped providing bottles of the brew to refresh weakened members of the public after they have given blood. Diageo dropped the service last November because it felt that it no longer suited its "style".

It no longer promotes Guinness as having health benefits and wanted to be in line with a code of marketing standards.

But a spokesperson for the Irish Blood Transfusion Service said Diageo's decision to scrap the bonus pint had not made people more reluctant to donate.

Irish Independent