The mother of an eight-year-old boy who may be taken into care tomorrow because of his excessive weight has condemned her local health authority for threatening the drastic measure without offering enough support to deal with her son’s weight problem.

Experts fear the only way to prevent Connor McCreaddie, who weighs 14 stones, from developing life-threatening diabetes or heart problems, may be to remove him from his family.

The classification of child obesity as a form of child abuse would mark a watershed in social policy, providing a justification for state intervention.

The boy’s mother, Nicola McKeown, who has suffered from depression, said her family would be devastated if Connor was taken away. She accused the authorities in Wallsend, near Newcastle upon Tyne, where she lives in a council home with Connor and his sister, of failing to support her.

Speaking to the Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme, which has been following Connor’s case for a month, she said: “I was given a diet sheet when he was five-years-old, stuck to it for a whole year. There was supposed to be a follow-up appointment, nothing. Carried on, stuck with it as long as I could and for the amount he was eating, I felt sorry for him.

“He lost a stone in a year and for the amount he was living on at the time, it should have been a drastic weight loss, not just a stone.” She added: “The worst case would be Connor getting taken into care. He is well cared for, well looked after between the family.

“It is just the fact that he has totally demented me wanting feeding constantly. It is so hard.”

Connor has reportedly broken four beds and five bicycles. He has difficulty walking, washing and dressing himself, and often has to miss school because of health problems.

His grandmother Barbara Bake said: “He is walking pretty bad at the moment because the strain is all on the knees.

“[I’m] extremely worried because if he ever gets taken into care, I think that would be the finish of me seriously. I love that little boy so much really. I would give my life for him, willingly.”

The family has been summoned to a child protection conference tomorrow to discuss his future. The conference, which will be attended by two specialist obesity nurses, among other professionals, could result in his being placed on the child protection register, or the less serious, children-in-need register, and lead to him being taken into care.

Obesity experts believe the intervention is justified. Dr Michael Markiewicz, a consultant paediatrician, said: “I think we are looking at a child who is going to be exceedingly unhappy, exceedingly unhealthy and probably will face an early death. They love him but they actually love him to death, literally ... through the way they are treating him and feeding him, they are slowly killing him.

“As far as I’m concerned this is a form of child abuse. Not done intentionally, but the result is child abuse.”

Dr Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, which campaigns to raise awareness of the impact of obesity on the NHS, said in extreme cases removing a child from his or her family would be justified. “The long-term impacts of this child’s gross obesity are frightening,” he said. “He has great risk of diabetes and coronary illness. His life expectancy is severely prejudiced. So action is required if his health is to be safeguarded.”

Ms McKeown maintains she should have been helped earlier. “I don’t see how they can say we are not doing enough,” she said.

“We have all got Connor in our best interests. These are people that have never helped us before now. I asked to have a social worker to help me and this is what it has come to.”

A spokeswoman for North Tyneside Council and North Tyneside Primary Care Trust said: “[We]have been working with the family over a prolonged period of time and will continue to do so. The child’s interests are paramount.”

Tonight with Trevor McDonald is on ITV1 tonight at 8pm.