NEXT Tuesday, at 10am, Jenny Moxley - eight-and-a-half stone lighter than she was nearly two years ago - will open the Festival Place door at Clifton Walk and get herself a place in local history.

At the same time, six fellow competition winners will open the other doors leading into Festival Place following the big countdown by the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Rita Burgess.

Jenny, of Belvedere Gardens, Chineham, was nominated by her proud husband Simon for managing to drop from a size 26 to a size 14.

As well as being given the honour of playing a leading role in Basingstoke's history, mother-of-two Jenny has also won £500 worth of Principles shopping vouchers.

She says she can't wait to spend her vouchers once she reaches her goal of being a size 12.

"I'm so chuffed to have won," said Jenny. "I'm a new person now.

"I've only got three outfits at the moment because there's no point in buying new clothes yet."

After years of yo-yo dieting, Jenny had an operation two years ago while she was living in France to fit an adjustable gastric band to make her stomach smaller, causing her to eat less and lose weight.

The operation, only available privately in the UK at a cost of between £6,500 and £8,500, is completely reversible and is carried out using keyhole surgery.

Once fitted, the band is gradually filled up with fluid to make it expand.

When a person reaches their goal weight, the fluid is removed, but the band is often retained in case weight is put on again.

Jenny, 38, said: "It's the best thing I've ever done for my health and vanity.

"I wanted to be around to see my children grow up. I looked 50 when I was 36 before I had the surgery."