A BRAVE mum-of-one has lost four stones — so she can have her breasts removed.

Clare Shaw found out she had the faulty BRCA2 gene in 2011 after her mum Cath Gilroy discovered she had breast cancer.

Testing positive for the genetic fault meant that her risk of ovarian cancer was 40 to 50 per cent and breast cancer was 70 to 85 per cent. Her aunty Elaine Price also tested positive for the gene.

The 38-year-old, of Montrose Avenue, Tonge Moor, has already had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed and is now on course to losing enough weight to bring her body mass index down to below 30 so she can have a mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

She has lost four stone over the last year through her new passion for running, along with her best friend Charlotte Fitzharris and her mum Ruth Hamer, and will be running in the Great Manchester 10km Run for Breast Cancer Care on May 10.

Ms Shaw, who works as a tenancy services assistant at Bolton at Home, said: "I have lost four stones in a year and I feel amazing. I never dreamt that I could ever run, let alone marathons. I can run 5km without stopping now whereas I couldn't even manage 100 metres last year.

"I have been concentrating on my weight loss to distract myself from the prospect of the surgery. There's no way round it — I've got to do it. Breast Cancer Care has been great — they still ring my mum every few weeks to check on her, so I want to raise as much money as possible to give something back."

Former Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery aged 33 after she discovered she carried the faulty gene.

Ms Shaw said: "I don't want to lose my breasts — I'm too young and want to still feel womanly. Mum had the surgery already — she's had everything done. She's at the end of the road with it all and just completed the last of her reconstruction surgery.

"I have already had my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed which has unfortunately brought on the menopause, but it's a small price to pay when you think of the alternative."

To donate visit justgiving.com/Clare-ShawGMR or text the code CGMR99 and the amount (£1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10) to 70070.