Kent's real-life Willy Wonka has been forced to step down as Britain's "chief chocolate taster" after piling on two stone in weight.

Angus Kennedy, from East Farleigh, Maidstone, was warned his cholesterol level was becoming "dangerously high" after landing the £30,000-a-year dream job in 2010.

The 47-year-old's role required him to gobble up to 2lbs of weird and wonderful goodies - such as cocoa-covered ants and aphrodisiac lollipops... every day.

Manufacturers - including Mars and Nestle - relied on his experience and sophisticated palate to sample new treats ahead of production.

Father-of-five Angus, pictured left, would then write about the products in the trade journal Kennedy’s Confection.

But the high-calorie diet caused his weight to balloon to 13-and-a-half stone and doctors warned he risked a heart attack if he carried on.

Now he has embarked on a strict exercise regime and cut all chocolate from his diet in a bid to return to his normal weight of 11-and-a-half stone.

Angus has also retired as editor of Kennedy’s Confection - and as its main chocolate taster.

He now intends to concentrate on a full-time writing career and finding a publisher for his latest novel - 'Understand and Deliver: The story of the husband who delivered his wife’s baby'.

"the only problem with eating chocolate from 9 to 5, of course, is the predictable weight gain and high cholesterol…” – angus kennedy, the real-life willy wonka

Angus said: "Eating chocolate for a living really was the dream job. I was given a Golden Ticket to sample the world’s craziest, tastiest new goodies and review them in the magazine.

"The only problem with eating chocolate from 9 to 5, of course, is the predictable weight gain and high cholesterol.

"In the last couple of years, I’ve put on some considerable weight and a recent check-up showed my arteries were far from fighting fit.

"It was with regret that I stepped down from the magazine to concentrate on a less harmful - but certainly less sweet - career."

Angus has been editing the publication for the last 20 years and has sampled more than 200 new products per month - more than 30,000 in total - in that time.

At a trade show, he would often eat up to 3lbs of goodies - approximately 20 bars of Dairy Milk or 25 Crème Eggs - in less than 12 hours.

His monthly magazine is more than 120-years-old and is sent to 5,000 subscribers worldwide.

Gene Wilder starred in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Picture: Paramount Pictures

He was dubbed Willy Wonka in October 2010 after some of the world’s biggest manufacturers hired him as a chocolate taster.

Angus would spend half of his working week sampling new products and the other half writing about them in the magazine.

But following the birth of his fifth child earlier this year, he decided to have a check-up - and was told to quit the chocolate or face a "future of ill-health".

Angus has now employed a new editor and a team of tasters, but added: "I'll really miss being Willy Wonka."