IPSWICH'S 70-stone man, Paul Mason, is believed to have suffered a suspected heart attack.

IPSWICH'S 70-stone man, Paul Mason, is believed to have suffered a suspected heart attack.

According to reports today, the 48-year-old was rushed from his home in East Ipswich after suffering from chest pains yesterday .

Mr Mason has been back in his specially adapted bungalow for just a week after a life-saving gastric bypass operation at Chichester's St Richard's Hospital, in Sussex.

A spokeswoman from the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called, after reports of a 48-year-old man suffering from chest pains.

“We sent a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance to the scene and when we arrived on scene he was conscious and breathing - with no difficultly speaking.

“After assessing him, we then contacted St Johns Ambulance Service and requested a bariatric ambulance (adapted for obese people) and he was conveyed to Ipswich Hospital.”

In October, The Evening Star was the first to break the story that Mr Mason's weight had ballooned in recent years and that he needed vital surgery to save his life.

Mr Mason has suffered a long battle against obesity as he has struggled to bring his weight under control - and his most recent problems have been filmed by Channel Four for a forthcoming documentary.

When the Star revealed he was being prepared for gastric band surgery last year, the news attracted national attention and prompted headlines across the country.

In earlier interviews with the Star, Mr Mason said he was determined to lose weight and also drew attention to problems of access for wheelchair users at Orwell Country Park.