An inspirational slimmer lost nearly ten stone and dropped eight trouser sizes after realising the health risks of his lifestyle.

Paul Jervis, from Lowestoft, decided to turn his life around in February 2015 after reaching a dangerously heavy weight of 27st.

But having pursued a friend's recommendation, he began attending a weight loss course at the Kirkley Health Centre and never looked back.

'I was always big as a child but the need to lose weight was something I denied for years,' said Mr Jervis. 'I used to eat a lot of pre-prepared meals and didn't do any exercise.

'One morning I woke up and thought 'I've had enough'. I realised I needed to get in shape for work and, if I'd carried on living the same lifestyle, it would have been the death of me.'

Mr Jervis provided course operators with information about his existing eating habits and was given extensive advice and support to change his fortunes.

The key first step was eliminating the most unhealthy foods from his diet, while a new job with a facilities management company worked wonders from a fitness perspective.

'The biggest thing I've done is to cut out salt and sugar from my diet,' added Mr Hierons. 'That's been really important because I've never really been one to exercise, but my job has been great because I do plenty of heavy lifting and walk up and down stairs all the time.'

Mr Jervis currently 17st 10lb, meaning he has lost an incredible 9st 4lb, dropping from a size 58 to 42-inch waist in the process.

Despite appreciating the valuable help he has received, Mr Jervis insists that successfully losing weight is all about having an unwavering desire to achieve your goals.

'It's really down to the kind of person you are,' he said. 'Losing that kind of weight is not easy at all - it's all about willpower and you really have to be consistent.

'Then again, by no means do you have to starve yourself. You just have to be sensible with what you eat and maintain a balanced diet.

'I'm now so used to watching what I eat that it comes as second nature, but I still make sure to enjoy myself. After losing so much weight, if I put on a pound now it's not the end of the world.'