Conner McCreaddie’s mother said on Monday her 196-pound son refuses to eat fruits and vegetables, but rejected suggestions she put a lock on the fridge.

Connor and mother Nicola McKeown will appear at a child protection conference organised with their local government authority in northeastern England.

Social workers might take the decision to put him into care against the will of his single mother, who suffers from depression. She has appealed to allow her to keep Connor, dismissing allegations that he has been neglected.

“Taking him away from his family when he needs them to help him would be, I think, disastrous for Connor. I think it would make him worse,” she said.

With studies showing Britain has the worst rate of obesity among children in Europe, the country’s media regulator plans to ban television advertising for junk food aimed at school-age children from next year.

Connor, from Wallsend, Newcastle, is four times the healthy weight of his peers and was even heavier before Christmas, prompting his 35-year-old mother to seek help.

He lost weight following advice from health workers and a dietician at the start of the year.

Local authorities have issued a statement saying they worry about the schoolboy’s health.

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