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A 55-stone man who has been staying at a hospital in Nottinghamshire despite being passed as fit to be discharged has reportedly cost the NHS an estimated £250,000.

Matthew Crawford, who is believed to be one of Britain's fattest men, is still blocking beds in King's Mill Hospital four weeks after The Mirror revealed he was fit enough to leave.

Insiders, who spoke to The Mirror, said the 33-year-old got a discharge letter three months ago and around £120,000 of the bill has been racked up in that period.

He can't be moved from the Sutton-in-Ashfield hospital until a suitable social care unit is found for him.

Last month, Sherwood Forest Hospitals said a move was imminent.

But a source told Mirror Online the unit he was due to be moved to has pulled the plug after learning of his convictions for attacking nurses.

The insider added: “It beggars belief that he’s still on the same ward despite the situation being exposed in the national media.

“The word is that something else has been lined up and he will be on the move, but there are genuine fears he will still be here at Christmas.

“The last unit he was due to go to cancelled the place after learning about his past. They wanted nothing to do with him.”

Matthew was convicted earlier this year of assaulting four nurses at a care home. He was ordered to pay compensation.

He has been on a ward at the hospital since May, and has a four-bed bay to himself to fit in the equipment needed to move him around.

The NHS bill, including £7,000 a week for a rented reinforced bed, has risen by roughly £60,000 since it was revealed he was fit enough to be discharged six weeks ago.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust said: “It is disappointing when despite all our efforts we still have patients in hospital who we recognise should not be here.

“It means there are less beds available for those needing hospital treatment.

“We will continue to work with our partners to try to find a better solution.”

It has been claimed Matthew has frequently ordered pizza and takeaways to eat on the ward, but he has insisted it is not true.

His mum Linda Belshaw, of Newark, Notts, said last month he is not bed blocking deliberately.

The problem costs the cash-strapped NHS millions of pounds every year as operations are postponed or axed and emergency departments are over-run.