SHE lost 12 stone after taking the desperate step of having a gastric bypass operation, but now a York mum claims to be debilitated by the weight of the excess skin left behind.

York mother, Linda Cox is urging York Hospital to operate on her to remove the sagging skin which remains after she dropped from 31 stone in 2005 to 19 stone today.

However she said medics want her to lose more weight before they will consider the operation – something which she said she believes is too difficult.

She said: “I now have excess skin on my back and stomach and I am constantly suffering from back pain. It’s hard on my back and I’m ending up with sores which are very painful,” said the 44-year-old.

“I went to the hospital six months ago about an operation. They said I have to keep on losing weight but it’s got to the stage now where the weight loss is slowing right down.”

Mrs Cox, of Dringhouses, said she was unable to wear jeans because of the large amount of loose skin and said she believes that if an operation was to go ahead, she would shed an extra three stone with the removal of the flesh.

“I feel that the hospital aren’t taking in to consideration that the excess skin is a problem. I have to take pain killers.”

Mrs Cox told The Press back in 2002 that she had suffered abuse regarding her weight from local youths in her former Tang Hall home, which led to stress and comfort eating, causing her to put on more weight.

While unable to comment on individual cases, a spokeswoman for York Hospital said removing excess skin was not a routinely commissioned operation and that such a case would have to be considered by an exception panel.

A spokesman for NHS North Yorkshire and York said they had nothing further to add to the hospital’s statement.