Leonid Stadnyk, who held the record of world’s tallest man, has died aged 44.

The peasant farmer from the north-western Ukrainian village of Podoliantsy died on Sunday from a cerebral haemorrhage, linked to health problems caused by his height, the Mirror reported.

Before he died, Stadnyk had grown to almost 8 feet, 5 inches (2.6 metres).

His height became abnormal when he was aged 14, and a benign tumour in his brain caused a gland to continually secrete growth hormones - meaning he never stopped growing. At its worst his condition, known as giganticism, caused him to grow at the rate of roughly one foot every three years.

In 2007, he was briefly named the world’s tallest man by the Guiness World Records, but refused to be measured by the organisation. The title was instead given to China's Bao Xishun, who stands at 2.36m tall. In comparison, the height of the average British man is thought to be 5ft 9in.

Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnyk Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk, pictured aged 37, waves as he poses by the Chevrolet Tacuma car presented to him by then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev on March 24, 2008. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik Shoe designer of Marko factory Tatyana Manshykh shows a size 62 (63 in European size) pair of men's shoes worn by Leonid Stadnyk. VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik Leonid Stadnyk stands near his mother Galyna at his house in Podoliantsi village, 180 km from Kiev in 2007. GENIA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik Leonid Stadnyk stands beside a man outside his house in 2007. GENIA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik Stadnyk, pictured in 2007 stroking a calf, was a veterinary surgeon. GENIA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik Leonid Stadnyk washes his hands at his house in Podoliantsi. GENIA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik Leonid Stadnyk uses a mobile phone at his house. GENIA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images Leonid Stadnik dead: The World's Tallest Man in pictures Leonid Stadnik Leonid Stadnyk uses a mobile phone. GENIA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images

"We have contacted Stadnyk, but he seems like a very shy guy," a Guinness World Records spokeswoman said at the time. “He doesn't want us around. So we have to stick to what we have.”

31-year-old Turkish farmer Sultan Kosen currently holds the record, measuring 2.51m (8 feet, 3 inches).

Mr Stadnyk did not enjoy his fame, or his height. In a 2004 interview with Reuters he spoke of how his condition forced him to quit his job, and lead him to live a lonely life with is mother.

"For my entire life I wanted to be shorter. I was bowing down, stooping," Stadnyk said. “I have always wanted to be in the shadows. I tried not to stand out, but now..."

“There were no shoes, no clothes for me in the shops. When I was undergoing medical checks, they could not measure my height, the scale ran out. Then I became self-conscious,” Stadnyk, who worse size 27 shoes in UK sizes.

His height meant he could no longer be a veterinarian, as he could only travel by horse or cart, and could not find adequate clothing to protect his body from harsh winter weather. "I did not have proper shoes and my feet froze. I had to stop working."