An overweight former policeman trying to persuade a health authority to fund obesity surgery has started the latest round of his legal fight.

Tom Condliff, of Talke in Staffordshire, who is 140kg (22 stone), says he needs stomach surgery to save his life. But the North Staffordshire primary care trust (PCT) refuses to fund a laparoscopic gastric bypass operation.

In April, the high court refused to quash the PCT's decision not to provide the surgery.

On Monday, Condliff's lawyers sought to overturn that ruling in the appeal court.

Lawyers expect the appeal in London to last two days. The three judges hearing it are likely to reserve judgment until a later date. Condliff, 62, was not in court.

Richard Clayton QC, for Condliff, argued that a policy the authority had followed when making the decision not to fund the procedure breached human rights legislation.

Clayton complained that the policy "expressly" required the PCT to ignore the "adverse effects on respect for his private and family life of not funding surgery" and the "potential beneficial effects on respect for his private and family life of surgery".

He said, in written arguments presented to the court, that those clauses breached Condliff's legal right to respect for private and family life.

Clayton told Lord Justice Maurice Kay, Lady Justice Hallett and Lord Justice Toulson that his client is "morbidly obese" and suffers from diabetes and a number of associated illnesses.

Condliff's health is deteriorating and doctors fear he could have less than a year to live, Clayton added.