A KEEN biker lost 13 stones in 13 months after realising he could no longer mount his motorcycle.

Bill Richardson was devastated when, weighing 26 stone, he found he was no longer able to ride his bike. But the 57-year-old halved his body weight and went from a 58in to a 32in waist in just over a year.

Bill, of Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, worked as an electrical engineer for Nestl for 12 years but the weight piled on when he was made redundant three years ago.

He said: "I couldn't walk 50 yards. I had pains in my ankles, knee and hip joints. I used to get headaches and all I can put it down to is the E-numbers in the manufactured food I used to eat."

After joining a Slimming World class for men in Sunderland, he hit his target weight of 13st on his 57th birthday in July.

Bill, who is married to hospital worker Mollie, 57, was too overweight to exercise but now cycles and swims with his family. Bill, who works part-time at B&Q in Sunderland, also loves shopping for clothes now. He said: "I could never get clothes that fit before."

He has also been able to buy his dream motorbike - a Honda CBR 1000F.