31stone man with eating disorder is sectioned

A 31-stone man has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act because he cannot stop eating.

Chris Leppard, 23, who has a rare hereditary illness that compels him to eat, was forcibly detained for a month.

Today, his mother hit out at the "heavy-handed" approach by social workers and police and said: "There is nothing wrong with his mental wellbeing." Anne Leppard, 49, who looks after her son, who has Prader-Willi syndrome, at their home in Hastings, added: "It is a physical problem he faces. We didn't know they could just take him away. He was pulling out of it really well with my help."

She added: "Chris was really upset. He was crying and said he didn't want to go. As far as we are concerned, he is being punished for being ill."

People with Prader-Willi have abnormally slow metabolisms which means they should limit their food. But Mr Leppard's intake is up to 5,000 calories a day.

He now faces up to 28 days of mental assessment at the Eastbourne Clinic in Sussex which has a specialist eating disorder unit.