A MUM from Padgate has spoken out about her disgust after she received a letter to say her healthy son was overweight.

Donna Hobson, of Saffron Close, was told her five-year-old son Ewan had been measured as obese in a letter from the school nursing team at Woolston Primary School.

The 36-year-old said: “I was upset and shocked. I just thought he is so skinny – I couldn’t believe it. You can’t pinch any fat on him.

“I emailed them with a picture of Ewan to ask them which bit of him was overweight.”

An investigation was immediately carried out by the schools nursing service where it was established that Ewan’s height had been entered incorrectly into the national child measurement data base.

It was unclear if this was a human error or a problem with the data base but Ewan’s records have since been amended.

But Donna now believes the system needs an overhaul and changes are needed to avoid another parent suffering the same upset she endured.

She said: “Surely it would be better, if you have a child who is very overweight, to invite them to a clinic with their parents to discuss this rather than just send this ill-explained letter.

“I am all for healthy and active lifestyles but I don't see how receiving a letter like that would help anyway.

“It is no wonder that so many people these days are so obsessed with weight if it starts from such a young age.”

A spokesman for the schools nursing service in Warrington said they were ’extremely sorry for any distress and upset caused’.

“Unfortunately an error was made in the data entry process and we apologise for this. This issue is being dealt with by the service and all the issues and concerns have been investigated.

“As an organisation we take all such concerns extremely seriously. If a formal response is required we would ask the family to contact our Patient Services team on 0800 587 0562.”