A BROTHER and his sister lost an amazing nine stones between them in just one year.

Peter Hannis, aged 39, and Louise Platt, aged 29, became fed up with feeling unhealthy. So they joined a diet group in June 2000.

And by April 2001, Peter, of Chorley New Road, Lostock, dropped from 19st 5lbs to 14st 13lbs.

His sister, who lives in Makinson Avenue, Horwich, also stuck to the plan and went from 14st 13lbs to 10st 13lbs in the same time.

Peter said: "I basically felt uncomfortable, unfit and unhealthy.

"The weight had crept up on me and because I'm 6ft 3ins tall it wasn't all that noticeable. It hit home when I saw some photographs of me on holiday and I knew I needed to do something."

He said he still carried pictures of himself in his wallet to remind him of his previous weight. He added: "It wasn't that hard to lose the weight. The important thing was to keep motivated. Basically the plan involves cutting out saturated fats and staying within a points system."

Louise said her weight made her paranoid about other people's opinions of her and she would often drive the shortest of distances to avoid people looking at her.

She said: "I put the weight on for a good couple of years. I knew I was big but I never knew my actual weight because I didn't own any scales. I feel so much better about myself now."

The siblings went to the Weight Watchers club at Horwich.