A Ukrainian man has been named the world's tallest living person by the Guinness Book of Records, beating the previous record holder by 22cm (8in).
Leonid Stadnyk, a 37-year-old former veterinarian from Podolyantsi in central Ukraine, was measured at 2.57m (8ft 5in), the records authority said
Mr Stadnyk has claimed to be the world's tallest man before, but his record was not verified because he repeatedly refused to be measured by the Guinness Book of Records.
He began to grow rapidly aged 14, when an operation on his brain reportedly stimulated his pituitary gland.
Born to parents who were 1.73m (5ft 8in) and 1.52m (5ft) tall in a tiny village 209km (130 miles) west of the capital, Kiev, Mr Stadnyk was not unusually large as a young boy.
Mr Stadnyk had to give up his job six years ago, after his feet were frostbitten because he could not afford proper shoes for his size 64 feet.
He soon outgrew his bike and began taking the bus. He later became too large for the bus and had to use the family's horse-drawn cart.
By the time he had qualified as a vet and begun working at a clinic an hour away, Mr Stadnyk measured 2.03m (6ft 8in).
But Mr Stadnyk still has 15cm (6in) to grow if he is to match the tallest man in history.
He now tends to his mother's livestock and grows vegetables on their farm in Podolyantsi.
world's tallest living person in Guinness Book of World Records Video
