At the top of his class

WHEN Kyle Best starts at secondary school in September he will not just tower over his classmates but also over most of his teachers – he is already nearly 6ft 2in tall.

As one of the tallest 11-year-olds in the country, he is already wearing adult-sized clothes and size-11 shoes.

STRETCHING OUT: Kyle Best easily fills the length of his family's sofa Photo No: CRIS20100811G07
LONG AND SHORT OF IT: Kyle Best with his mum Lorna Photo No: CRIS20100811G05

TALL STORY: Kyle Best already measures more than 6ft despite only being 11
Photo: CRIS20100811G01 by Ian Stratton

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And as he has years of growing still ahead of him, his mum, Lorna Brown, who reaches a comparatively modest 5ft 5in, is wondering how big he will end up.

Charity worker Miss Brown, 43, from Strathyre Avenue, Norbury, said: "I honestly think he could be the tallest boy of his age in Croydon. I'd be interested to see if there's anyone taller. When you look at his face, you see a baby, but when you see his size, you think he's an adult."

Kyle, who moves up to Archbishop Lanfranc School in September, was always taller than average.

Lorna explained: "At the age of one, he was the size of a four-year-old, so he's always been an early developer."

Kyle, who already has a 36in leg measurement, caught up with his mother's height when he was just eight. And the lofty former Winterbourne Junior School prefect says his height does not bother him.

He said: "I'm taller than my friends but it doesn't matter – if things get stuck in high places, like a ball, I can reach them.

"It means I can go on all the rides at fairs as well. I'm also good at basketball and a good goalie at football, so I like my height."

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