A BAKER has made his return to running after he was forced to take a break from the sport because of mental health issues.

Sam Beard, from Stroud, is using a technique called mindfulness and is now running once a week with the Cotswold Allrunners which he joined on Saturday.

It comes after he was diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety earlier this summer.

"I've been able to run once a week without anxious thoughts for a few weeks now," said Sam, who is a full-time baker at Beau's Bakehouse in Frampton-on-Severn.

"Mindfulness is helping me challenge the anxious thoughts that I get when I run.

"When I get these thoughts now, I'm challenging them and trying to find out exactly what it is that makes me anxious."

The 20-year-old, who has raised more than £5,000 by running for charity, spoke about his struggles in the hope on encouraging others suffering with mental health issues to come forward.

He will be running a Tough Mudder in Cirencester on August 20 to help raise money for a four week volunteer program in Cape Town.

He is planning to visit Cape Town in January to work in schools and help develop sports for children.

Sam, who at 19 became the youngest person to run seven marathons in a week, first suffered panic attacks when he was running the Cardiff Half Marathon in September.

Despite this, he battled on to complete numerous charity runs including a 40-mile ultra-marathon in 12 hours to raise more than £1,000 for Allsorts, before taking a temporary break from the sport this summer.