A woman astounded doctors after she turned up at hospital with a football-sized tumour on her neck which weighed two kilograms, Daily Mail reports.

Joyce Haigh, 79, had been living with the tumour - thought to be the largest ever reported in the UK - for an incredible 20 years.

Mr Muhamad Quraishi, the ear, nose and throat surgeon who removed the tumour during a five-hour operation at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, said it was the largest growth he'd seen during his 20-year career.

Mrs Haigh, from Thorne, South Yorkshire, said she was afraid to go to the doctors.

Then on October 13, Mr Haigh insisted his wife saw a doctor when the growth started to bleed.

'I plan to get back to being normal again, buy some new clothes and enjoy life'', said Mrs Haigh. 'The operation has given me a new lease of life as I can go out now without worrying about people staring at me. The staff at Doncaster Royal Infirmary were marvellous and I can't thank them enough.'