A CARING dad whose daughter suffered from an eating disorder has raised more than £7,000 to help others facing similar problems...by going a whole year without drinking.

Eddie Middleton, from Houston, was inspired to raise awareness of eating disorders after watching his daughter battle illness for nearly five years.

A year ago today, he embarked on a journey which would involve giving up alcohol for an entire year to generate cash for the Beat Eating Disorders charity.

Eddie, 54, has since lost five stones in weight, as well as raising a total of £7,046 for the worthy cause.

He said: “I know from personal experience the damage eating disorders can do, not just to those affected but also to the families of sufferers and their support networks.

“I wanted to both support the good work Beat do but also raise awareness of the issues associated with eating disorders.”

An estimated 1.25 million people in the UK struggle with eating disorders, which include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.

Last year, Beat directly supported more than 17,000 people and, this year, the charity is hoping to help more than 40,000.

Andrea Auburn, community fundraising officer at Beat, said: “Eddie’s determination is inspiring and he is doing such important work in raising funds and awareness to help everyone affected by eating disorders.”

Eddie believes giving up drink has also boosted his mental health but admits that a year was quite enough without a bevvy.

He added: “I feel more focused but it has made me realise there are occasions where I enjoy a glass of something.

“That said, I do think I will be much more mindful of what I drink and when.”