A local man who lost 24 stone after weight loss surgery has featured in the online version of a national newspaper in the United Kingdom.

Head of the Civil Defence in the Isle of Man Martin Blackburn appeared in the Health section of the Daily Express.

Two years ago he had surgery to staple part of his stomach as his extreme weight was having a serious affect on his health. He suffered from type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cellulitis.

The article explained how such operations have increased in recent years with around 4,000 being done on the NHS last year, compared with 238 in 2000.

The operations cost around ?6,000 yet some believe the NHS should be offering more because in the long run they save money.

Mr Blackburn, who weighed up to 37 stone, is quoted as saying he had the surgery after trying many other less drastic ways to lose weight, without success.

He now wishes he had faced the procedure much earlier, even though many of his friends didn't recognise him after he lost so much weight.

The article appeared on Tuesday (December 28).