Motor mad George McGuinness shed five stone after he got wedged in his Mini.

Two burly mechanics had to pull him free when he got stuck behind the steering wheel.

The 31-year-old ballooned to 27 stones thanks largely to his fondness for beer and kebabs.

But he went on a dramatic diet when he became too fat for his beloved Mini Cooper car. George shed five stones after his size 56in waist stuck behind his steering wheel.

The mechanic said: "I knew I was fat but I decided enough was enough when I got stuck in my car."

George's boss, John Snowdon, 31, had to grease the steering wheel before two mechanics pulled George from his seat.

George fell in love with Minis as a schoolboy when his father owned one.

He bought his first mini when he passed his test, then aged 17, when he weighed 18 stones.

He has had seven Minis since, but each year he has been piling on the pounds.

He bought his current 1974 Mini Cooper in 1991 and has spent a fortune maintaining his motor. So much is his love for the cars he even works as a mechanic for a specialist Mini garage in his home town of Sunderland.