SLIMMER Vicki Jervis has celebrated losing seven stones by conquering her fears and taking to the skies.

Mrs Jervis, 43, of Green Road, High Wycombe, has now reached her target weight of 9 stone 7lbs.

To mark her achievement she took the plunge and flew in a fixed wing microlight plane despite having never previously flown in any type of aircraft.

Mrs Jervis, who runs a Slimming World class in Hazlemere, said: "It was a bumpy flight with a lot of wind turbulence, but the views were spectacular.

"I flew over the Wiltshire downs, where you can see the Isle of Wight to the south and the Welsh hills to the west.

"It was a fantastic experience."

The mother of three has been losing weight gradually since 2002.

She said: "I know I missed out when my sons were young as my health was poor due to my weight, and being so self conscious of my size, I avoided joining in with so many family activities. I am certainly making up for that now and enjoy cycling with my family, kayaking in Devon, attending the gym, just to mention a few."

Mrs Jervis, who has been overweight since 1986, is keen for more people to follow her example and prove that it is never too late to lose weight.

She said: "Obesity is costing the NHS millions each year, and we become a burden to our families.

"There are more than 24 million overweight people in this country, and if I can help a few, young or old, male or female, I can start to make a difference.

"You only get one chance of life live it to the full."