A JUDGE has ruled that a woman with "extremely severe" anorexia must be force-fed.

Mr Justice Peter Jackson found that the 32-year-old, who has other chronic health conditions including alcohol abuse, lacked capacity to make a decision about her treatment.

Sitting at the Court of Protection in London, the judge said her case had "raised the real possibility of life-sustaining treatment not being in the best interests of a person".

Giving his conclusion in a judgment made public yesterday, he said: "It is in her interests for her to be fed, forcibly if necessary".

The judge said of the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons: "Albeit gravely unwell, she is not incurable. She does not seek death, but above all she does not want to eat or to be fed.

"She sees her life as pointless and wants to be allowed to make her own choices, realising that refusal to eat must lead to her death."

Her case came before the court last month when an urgent application was made by her local authority.

The former medical student developed anorexia when she was 11, and has refused solid food for more than a year.