The father of an overweight boy who died from a blood clot has spoken out on the dangers of fizzy drinks packed with sugar.
Lewis Albion, 13, from Greater Manchester, died in his dad's arms after the clot travelled up through his leg and into his chest, causing him to have a heart attack.
Father Stephen Platt now wants to warn people of the dangers soft drinks pose to people's health.
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Standing at 5'9' and with size 13 feet, Lewis was tall for his age, but despite accepting he was heavy, Stephen denies claims his son was 16 stone.
According to the post-mortem report, Lewis was obese and his weight is likely to have been a 'significant associated condition'.
However, Stephen claims this does not prove it was his son's weight that caused his death - instead, the real problem was his son's craving of soft drinks.
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Speaking to the Mirror, the 48-year-old is demanding health warnings on bottles and cans of pop.
He said: "We have got to take some responsibility. At the end of the day he is a 13-year-old boy and what he eats and what he drinks is down to us, 95 percent of the time, apart from when he is out with his mates.
"He might have been big for his age but it was not through what he was eating. I think it was the fizzy drinks that was his downfall - our downfall."
In April this year the Government introduced the 'sugar tax', which jacked up the price of sweeter drinks by 18p or 24p per litre, depending on how much extra sugar has been added.
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And according to reports in the Mirror, Stephen's call to also add health warnings has been backed by the British Dietetic Association.
BDA spokeswoman Aisling Pigott said: "Soft drinks are not an appropriate choice for children and I would agree this should be labelled on them."
The grief-stricken father - separated from Lewis' mum Yvette Jackson, 37 - says the young man was the fourth close family member to suffer a clot, but was the only one who was overweight.
Stephen said he believes this proves anyone can be a victim.
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As well as Lewis' weight, the post-mortem also highlighted a possible 'familial thrombophilia disorder' - meaning an increased tendency to form clots.
Lewis's parents are now concerned for their youngest son, 10, who lives with his mum, as they have noticed an increase in his weight, which they are trying to keep an eye on.
The youngster is undergoing tests to rule out thrombophilia.
According to Stephen, his son led a healthy lifestyle, playing football and basketball, as well as going to the gym, and enjoyed packed lunches of chicken and salad.
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He said Lewis's GP put his weight down to 'puppy fat' and no one at his son's school ever raised any concerns.
However, last Christmas Lewis's family became worried after his leg swelled up, and took him to hospital. Despite the scare, they were told it was just psoriasis.
In March this year he was taken to his GP with similar symptoms but was prescribed antibiotics.
Three days later, Lewis collapsed and tragically died outside their home in Radcliffe, Bury, after a clot travelled from his right leg into his chest.
Stephen said his son's weight may not have helped his condition but he wants to warn people that blood clots can affect anyone, no matter their size.
He said: "He (the coroner) said his weight didn't help and that might have played a part but he can't prove it and at the end of the day he has got a big blood clot that has travelled up and that has killed him.
"We want to get the point across that whatever size you are, whether you are as thin as a rake or fat, you can get a blood clot."
Featured Image Credit: Mirrorpix