A SON whose world “fell apart” when his mum died from cancer has turned his life around by losing an incredible 7st... thanks to taking up boxing.

Alan Haywood, 30, lost his mum, Susan Atherton, in April last year after a decade-long battle.

To make matters worse, he also had to move out of the home they had shared for 17 years.

And after suffering spiralling weight problems and mental health difficulties, he realised he had to take urgent action.

Almost immediately, he decided to sign up to a white collar boxing event and spent eight weeks training for his bout at Talk nightclub, in Southend, in front of hundreds of spectators.

He has now dropped from 23st to 16st.

Mr Haywood, of Wenham Drive, Westcliff, who suffers from borderline personality disorder, said: “I looked after my mum for about four months after Christmas 2018 when she started to decline really rapidly.

“Around the same time I had a breakdown because of stresses at work. I was angry because I felt I had lost my last Christmas and New Years with my mum.

“When I got the call telling me she had died, my world fell apart.

“Me and my mum enjoyed the smallest of things. I remember in summers we regularly took a walk along the seafront and got ice creams and sat on the sea wall.”

Mr Haywood also recalled the moment he realised he had to turn his life around.

He said: “I woke up one morning and saw a fat mess looking at me in the mirror and decided I needed to change.

“It was hard at first being 145kg (23 stone) but that was the challenge I had set myself. Now I weigh just 101kg (16 stone).

“I would never have been able to do it without the support and guidance of our trainers Simon Dempsey, Ollie Pinnock and Sherry Andrea.”

So far, the events have raised a staggering £20million for Cancer Research UK.

Although he lost, Alan said it was a really positive experience and is taking part again in the next event.

Mr Haywood’s mum, Susan Atherton, passed away on April 22 2019, following a decade long battle with cancer.

Originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she went into remission but her cancer returned and by 2018 it had spread to her lungs, and brain.

The 30-year-old took part in an Ultra White Collar Boxing event at the Talk nightclub in Southend, which has since closed down.