A mother-of-two who lost four-and-a-half stone in a year-long diet, is set to become a slimming instructor herself.

Samantha Harris, 28, from Hawksworth Road, Grove, saw her weight plummet from 15-and-a-half to under 11 stone after joining a Weight Watchers class. She said the weight loss the equivalent of 146 packs of lard had changed her life and she was determined to help others do the same.

Pupil turning teacher: Samantha HarrisMrs Harris, who works as a shop assistant at Ardington Post Office Stores, near Wantage, will now become a Weight Watchers' leader in Wantage and Didcot. She said: "I feel brilliant. I put on a lot of weight after having children and even stopped going out. But losing weight has helped me get my confidence back and made me feel fit and healthy.

"While I was losing weight a lot of people said I would make a good advert for Weight Watchers. I would definitely be a good leader because I have already been through it and know what it is like."

She added: "My old clothes are too big, so people have been giving me things that they have outgrown, which is great.

"I was always wearing big, baggy tops and trousers, but now I can wear the things I didn't dare wear before."

Helen Perry, the area manager for Weight Watchers in Oxfordshire, said: "It was a great achievement to lose that much weight especially with two small children. It should improve her health, quality of life and self-esteem. It is amazing that just changing your eating habits can have this effect."