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A man once said to be the smallest man in the world made his home in Worthing, buying a house in Graham Road in 1951 out of his earnings with the Burton Lester's circus troupe.

Henry Behrens, also known as Colonel Peewee, was 30in high and weighed 32lbs. He was married to Emmie, who was 10in taller than him.

Archive pictures include one of Henry dancing with his cat on his front doorstep in Worthing in 1956. According to a British Pathé film from November 1949, he wore infant size four shoes and had miniature rimless glasses. He enjoyed a pint of beer and a pipe. He found bus steps were too far off the ground, so he took a taxi instead.

Henry travelled extensively around the world, billed as The World's Smallest Man. This was before the Guinness World Records so it is unconfirmed but we do know 20-year-old Iranian Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh was officially declared the new world’s shortest man living in December 2022, measuring 25.6in.

Henry Behrens dancing with his pet cat in the doorway of his Worthing home. Picture: Harry Kerr/BIPs/Getty Images

Born in Brazil to German parents, Henry stopped growing at the age of two. After joining the circus troupe, he met his wife Emmie, who was from Leeds, and they were married in 1932.

He spoke four languages fluently. In March 1957, a notice appeared in the Worthing Herald stating that Henry was applying to the Home Secretary for naturalisation. He died in 1961 at the age of 66.

Worthing was once home to The World's Smallest Man