A WOMAN who was told she was too fat to have a back operation at Dorset County Hospital has lost four stone.

Amanda Dennett, 41, of Puddletown, said she lost the excess weight through a no-fat diet and has just one more stone left to lose for the recommended operation weight.

She said: "A friend of mine put me on a no-fat diet and the weight just dropped off me. I've been eating lots of fruit and vegetables.

"The ideal weight for me is nine stone, and I'm 11 stone 10 at the moment.

"The exercise I can do is very limited because it hurts, I just do a little bit of walking. I must admit I've found it a lot easier since I lost this weight but even after walking I have to take painkillers."

Fantastic The mother-of-two said her bad back was caused by the birth of her two children, Katie-Anne, 12, and Michael, nine, who were both lying heavily on her spine during pregnancy.

She said her children have been 'absolutely fantastic' in supporting her in her weight loss but she recently had to give up voluntary work as a teaching assistant at Puddletown First School because her back was too bad.

Mrs Dennett has an appointment to see a consultant at Dorset County Hospital on July 19 who will tell her if the operation can go ahead or if she must still shed some pounds.

She said: "I'm due to see the doctor who will decide if they can set a date or if I've got to lose more weight.

"The operation they're going to do is to remove a disc and fuse it so I don't get any aggravation."

Mrs Dennett was booked in to have the operation at Dorchester's flagship hospital in February but when she arrived with her case packed she was told she was too fat to have surgery.

A hospital spokesman stated that staff had warned her to lose weight five months before the operation.

Mrs Dennett, denied hearing any mention of it at any of her earlier appointments and said she wished they had told her six months ago, because she would be the other side of the operating table now.

She said: "I totally agree with them now. Losing weight has done me the world of good.

"The doctors were hoping that if I lost it they might not have to operate, but although I feel better in myself and more confident, I've still got the pain.

"They've said that if I'm 10 stone at the time of my operation it will speed up my recovery time."