THE grandfather of a young boy who is dangerously obese has hit out at the regional government's having 'broken its promise' not to take him away from his parents 'on two occasions'.

The child, aged 10, is believed to weigh over 13 stone.

His parents have been charged with child neglect and could face up to two years in jail.

The Xunta de Galicia decreed that he should be taken to the A Carballeira children's home, but apparently told his grandfather, Gregorio Montoya, that he would only be there 'for two hours at the most'.

Yet he was kept in for the whole day.

The boy's care is now split between his family and the regional government's social services, meaning he spends part of his time in the children's home and the rest with his grandparents.

Montoya (left) met with his lawyer José Manuel Rodríguez (right), endocrinologist Xesús Manuel Suárez, psychologist Clara Isabel Fernández and MP for the child's home town of Ourense (Galicia), Rogelio Martínez, this weekend in order to discuss the situation.

Montoya stressed that the child was 'a healthy little boy' and 'can be no better off than with his parents and grandparents'.

He added that both the family homes were 'in perfect conditions' to bring up a child.

Montoya's lawyer has also highlighted the psychological damage that the boy could suffer if he were forcibly separated from his parents.

The grandparents have denied that the boy had been taken to accident and emergency on 48 occasions as a direct result of his obesity, and have called for a copy of his medical notes.