THE battle of the bulge begins in earnest today for a 16-year-old told to lose weight or die.

Hartlepool schoolboy Jonathan Wallace was told by his GP to lose nearly half his own body weight after he tipped the scales at 31 stones.

After the big-hearted teenager pledged to use his weight-loss programme to raise money for a local hospice, a nearby gym was so moved by his plight that it gave him a free membership.

Later today, Jonathan will start his fitness programme at Fitness First, Hartlepool - the first day of a regime that should see him lose 14 stones.

Liz Metcalfe, who will be Jonathan's personal trainer at the gym, in Brenda Road, said: "We read about Jonathan's plight and decided we would like to do something to help him."

She said the plan was to help him lose weight with a combination of exercise and healthy eating.

Jonathan, of Jutland Road, is appealing to individuals and companies to sponsor his weight loss, in aid of Hartlepool and District Hospice.

It is also hoped that Hartlepool Primary Care Trust will make funding available to send him to Britain's only "fat camp" for obese children, in Leeds. The six-week residential course costs £2,230.