A young woman who was taken away from her parents after her weight soared as a child has become one of the youngest victims of the obesity crisis.

Samantha Packham weighed more than 40 stone when she died in hospital as she was being hoisted out of her bed, aged just 20.

As a teenager, she had been taken away from her family and put into care after they failed to get a grip on her eating.

Warning: Malcolm and Jan have spoken out after their daughter Samantha Packham (pictured together last year) had a heart attack aged just 20 when she weighed 40 stone

Parents Malcolm and Jan both admitted to Nicole Fifield in the Sunday People they could have done more to prevent her death - but have also hit out at social services, claiming one of her foster families left Samantha home alone with take away menus, simply adding to the problem.

Samantha, who had learning difficulties, was among 74 children taken into care for their own protection in the five years to February 2014.

Councils revealed last year that one youngster weighed 23 stone and eight were more than 20 stone.

Social services became involved with Samantha after a concerned outsider called Brighton and Hove Council to report their concerns.

The council tried to get Samantha, who attended a special needs school, onto a healthy diet, but Malcolm and Jan openly admit they failed to enforce it.

They revealed they had first realised their daughter had a problem with food when she was just eight.

But they said they could do little to stop her eating at that age, recalling how she would 'fly into a rage', swear and even pull doors off hinges.

When they tried to enforce to the healthy eating regime six years later, she simply went to the shop on the way to school and bought her own crisps and chocolate.

Malcolm and Jan, 48, admit they did not stop her pocket money to ensure she was not able to buy extra food.

Fears: Samantha, pictured aged 17, was taken into care as a teenager after concerned neighbours contacted social services, but her parents say not enough was done to stop her continuing to eat huge amounts

The council then decided to place Samantha in care, but Jan and Malcolm say not much improved, claiming the council failed to giver her the help she needed.

Eventually, Samantha was returned to her family and, earlier this year, decided to turn her life around - embracing healthy eating, and hoping to pursue her dream career in hairdressing.

But in July, Samantha, who lived in Brighton with her parents, was in hospital, weighing 40 stone.

Her mother was holding her hand as she was hoisted between the commode and her bed, when her heart gave out.

Malcolm, 44, said: 'We take ­responsibility – we hold our hands up and admit we messed up.

'We should have set her ­boundaries with food, but we didn’t and now we’ve paid the worst price.'

A Facebook page set up in tribute to Samantha reveals the huge shock felt by those who knew her.

'Always a kind loving girl,' wrote Sophie Douglas. 'Your going to be missed by some many people [SIC].'

Changes: Samantha eventually returned home, and decided to turn her life around by eating healthily. But earlier this summer she was in hospital when her heart stopped. Pictured: Her devastated parents

Jan Fossey added: 'Will miss that lovely smile around town.'

A Brighton & Hove City Council spokesman said: 'We are committed to keeping families together wherever it is safe to do so, because we believe that is what is normally in a child’s best interests.

'Decisions regarding children being taken into care are made by judges, not councils.

'Judges only make care orders when they believe a child is at risk of serious neglect or physical harm if the child stays with their birth parents.

'Before making such orders they consider evidence about a wide range of factors from a wide range of sources, not just from councils.