A new mum has launched a career as a plus size model urging women to embrace their bodies after she was fat shamed in the street by a group of men.

Jaz Harris, 29, from Rochford, works as a freelance curve model and has featured in campaigns for Schuh and Facebook.

Jaz and her partner, Ellis Smith, 24, a football academy director, welcomed their son Vinicius-George Smith in August last year.

The mum-of-one was enjoying her first night out since the arrival of her baby earlier this year when three men began to heckle her in the street.

Jaz, who is a size 20, was called ‘fatty,’ ‘obese girl’ and told that she should ‘go on a diet’.

The men then followed her and her friend, Deanna Byron, 27, down the street, in Chelmsford.

Jaz says she is no stranger to rude remarks concerning her size, but chose to ignore her hecklers, and encouraged her outraged friends to do the same.

She said: “I didn’t cry to start with because I’m used to it – but nobody should be used to receiving abuse like that.

“It was like they had verbal diarrhoea, it just kept coming.

Gazette: Jaz and her partner, Ellis Smith, 24, a football academy director, welcomed their son Vinicius-George Smith in August last year. Picture: SWNSJaz and her partner, Ellis Smith, 24, a football academy director, welcomed their son Vinicius-George Smith in August last year. Picture: SWNS

“I didn’t engage or talk back because I knew that would make it worse. I just had to take it.

“But it’s completely out of order and I want to show how proud I am of my body and not let people like them take anything away from me.”

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Jaz says she has “come a long way on [her] self-love journey” and will continue to do so in the hope to normalise bodies deemed to be plus-size.

She has been sharing her post-partum journey on her Instagram, advocating for ‘normal bodies’ after pregnancy and encouraging other women to embrace it instead of worrying about bouncing back.

Jaz, who was on a friend’s hen night when she was heckled, said she didn’t get upset at the time.

After waking up the next morning she realised how ‘fed up’ she is of abuse about her weight being accepted.

Gazette: She has been sharing her post-partum journey on her Instagram, advocating for ‘normal bodies’ after pregnancy. Picture: SWNSShe has been sharing her post-partum journey on her Instagram, advocating for ‘normal bodies’ after pregnancy. Picture: SWNS

“Nobody should have to put up with hate speech – whether it’s about their appearance, their sexuality or their ethnicity,” Jaz said.

“I’m fed up with it being normal and accepted. It’s disgusting.

“I am so proud of my body and don’t want anyone else to feel discouraged because of their size.

“It can be hard to ignore, but the more we show the beauty in all size, the less hate speech like I received will be accepted.”