Former world’s fattest man – Paul Mason from Ipswich – is returning to the UK after his new life in the USA turned south.

The 59-year-old took to Facebook to make the announcement after gaining back much of the weight he lost following his trans-Atlantic move five years ago.

Having previously tipped the scales at 70 stone - earning him the title of the world's fattest man - Mr Mason later lost much of the weight, at his lightest weighing 275 pounds.

Now Mason says he now weighs around 500 pounds - or 35 and a half stone - and blames it on decisions made during his life in the States, where he moved to find love.

He said: "I will go into more detail in the coming weeks and months, but what I can say now is that over the years living in the US I made some wrong decisions which has led to some bad consequences.

"Some of those being letting my visa expire, moving in with someone who was a bad influence and because of these and other choices I made, I've put on weight."

During his time in the US, he was admitted to hospital over the new year with cellulitis - which he says he has battled since 1987.

He also lost a toe to the disease in August, which was also infected with superbug MRSA.

At his heaviest, Mason was eating more than 20,000 calories a day.

He has chosen to move back to the UK because he will be eligible for the assistance needed to get his life "back on track", which he hopes will include regular therapy.