More than 30 ladies battling the bulge have celebrated losing a whopping 165 stones between them at an event in Shropshire.

Amid emotional scenes, the ladies of slimming groups across Shropshire, Staffordshire and south Cheshire, told of their efforts to fight the flab at a special get-together in Market Drayton on Saturday. Those at the district finals of Slimming World Woman of the Year showed pictures of how they used to look before dieting.

They took turns to tell their stories and shared experiences of how life has changed since they shed just over one metric ton between them.

Mum-of-four Rachel Conner, from Dawley, Telford, lost 7st 11lbs in about 14 months. Cheryl Perkins, Slimming World consultant at Wellington Swimming Pool, said Rachel came to the group when she began to suffer with the weak bone condition, osteoporosis at a young age.

She said: “Rachel said in group meetings she was a couch potato. But on Saturday she seemed to really enjoy the day as she has done the weight loss for herself. The reason she joined was she was quite a young lady and she was diagnosed with osteoporosis at a very early age. She said she was in agony with her knees and couldn’t walk her two youngest children to school any more and was asking a neighbour to do it.

“The doctor recommended she lose weight because of the health benefits.

“She joined Slimming World because she was a fussy eater and with us she was able to continue eating the foods she enjoyed.

“Now she is really pleased and has an exercise routine and doesn’t need help to walk the kids to school.”

Mel Green, Slimming World consultant at Market Drayton Royal British Legion, welcomed Moreton Say married mum-of-two Rita Erwin to the group about a year ago.

She said: “Rita has shed 5st 10lbs and looks totally different.

“Now she’s made a scarecrow wearing her old clothes and with a picture of her old face.

“It’s amazing how different she looks.”

Mary Roberts, from Bayston Hill, lost 9st 1lb after joining the Slimming World group at The Priory School in Meole Brace.

Consultants said the former school teacher, who taught at Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College in Wellington, was delighted with her dieting success.

Two of the group will now go on to represent the district in the national Slimming World awards.