Olympic medallist Anthony Ogogo has spoken of his joy at returning to his seriously-ill mother with a medal in his hand.

As previously reported, the Lowestoft middleweight boxer came close to pulling out of the Olympic Games after his mum Teresa was admitted to hospital with a brain aneurysm.

The popular 23-year-old mulled over the biggest decision of his life for days before deciding to continue on his medal quest.

The Games saw him defeat world number one and top seed Levgen Khytrov on his way to winning his bronze medal.

As he returned home this week, his first point of call was the James Paget University Hospital to visit his mum.

The Triple A boxer, who trains at Nirvana fitness gym in south Lowestoft, said: 'It was lovely. I hadn't seen her for so long and the hardest thing about the Olympic Games was not being there for my family at a time I would normally have been there every single day.

'She was really proud. When I gave her the medal she smiled and giggled as she said how it was a lot heavier than she expected.

'She was upset that she couldn't be there for the fights but she was really happy and proud and it's given her an extra boost.'

Ogogo, who had battled back from a shoulder injury, said he was 'inspired' by how much better his mum looked.

'She is doing really well. It's so complicated but I couldn't believe how much better she looked,' said the former under-17 world champion and Commonwealth silver medallist.

'Physically she looked a lot better and she was walking, talking and laughing. She's got a fantastic personality and it was really inspiring for me to see how well she is doing.'

Now the Games are over, Ogogo, who was beaten in the semi-final by Brazilian Esquiva Falcao Florentino, said he has put his boxing gear away in the cellar as he takes some time off to focus on his mum, family and friends.

'I want to be a normal 23-year-old lad for a couple of months,' he said. 'I'm really physically and emotional tired after the Olympics and qualifying and I want to focus on being a good son to my mum, a good brother to my sisters and a good boyfriend to my girlfriend.'

Meanwhile, in his home town, an unofficial bronze postbox has appeared on Kirkley Cliff, opposite Regent Road, to honour his achievements.

Emblazoned with 'Congratulations Ogogo! Olympic bronze medalist' (sic), mystery surrounds those responsible for honouring the town's first-ever Olympic bronze medallist.

Ogogo said he was honoured by the tribute. 'Everyone in the area has been really supportive and have got behind me. The support I've had has been fantastic,' he said.

'First and foremost I wanted to make my mum proud and I did, so mission accomplished.'

kate.scotter@archant.co.uk