THE owner of the tallest dog in the world from Leigh has paid tribute to him after his sad death.

Freddy the Great Dane - who was recorded by the Guinness World Records as the tallest dog in the world in 2016, has sadly died.

The top pooch who lived with his owner Claire Stoneman in Leigh measured a towering 103.5 centimetres - or three foot four inches - from foot to withers.

The beloved pet was the runt of the litter when born and was looked after by Miss Stoneman for all of his life.

The 45-year-old said: "He was not just the tallest dog but the dog with the most love and the biggest heart. A total soppy bugger who was hand fed.

"He was my life. My reason. My joy. My annoyance. My happiness and my ultimate sadness. He was my heart Dane. My one in a million and loved by the entire world.

Gazette:

Freddy with Claire

"As a puppy, he was the runt of the litter. I actually got him a couple of weeks earlier than I should have, as he wasn't feeding off [his] mum.

"I had no idea he was going to get this big at all."

Craig Glenday, Editor in Chief of Guinness World Records, recalls: "Freddy was such a gentle giant, and it was always a pleasure to see him bounding towards you.

"Measuring this mountain of a dog was an unforgettable - if challenging! - experience and I'll always treasure the couple of occasions I got to share a sofa with him - there was just about enough room for the two of us!

"I still can barely believe that he was the runt of the litter. Freddy brought a smile to everyone's face and will be missed by every at Guinness World Records.

"I'm just pleased that we got the chance to celebrate his record-breaking immensity in the books and share his story with millions of people around the world. RIP, Freddy."

Gazette:

Standing on his hind legs, Freddy's height was a huge 226 cm (7 ft 5.5 in)