A woman who was picked on by school bullies over her petite height has had the last laugh after becoming Britain's shortest beauty queen - at 4ft 10ins tall.

Catherine-Leigh Cleaves, 26, was branded an 'Oompa Loompa' and asked 'whether she shopped at Mothercare' by cruel classmates during her childhood years.

She said she would often come home from school in tears due to the abuse over her petite frame which also left her suffering from anxiety.

But Catherine bravely overcame the odds to embrace her size and began modelling - despite being told she'd be too small for the industry.

She continued to break the stereotype of tall, leggy catwalk models by entering the Miss England competition this year.

And she was left gobsmacked when she was announced as one of this year's semi-finalists - making her the shortest contestant in the pageants 94 year history.

Catherine says her size is an advantage as she often saves money by shopping in kids' sections and she now hopes to inspire women of similar height.

Café worker Catherine, of Bognor Regis, West Sussex, said: "I want to able to inspire shorter ladies to actually go for it.

"A lot of women hold back because of their height or weight. If I can inspire other ladies, then that’s great.

"As a child I was picked on. I was prime target for the bullies.

"I was asked if I bought my clothes in Mothercare or if I was ‘wearing my baby grow’ today.

"This affected me in ways I can’t put into words. I am a short girl with anxiety and the treatment I received from other people in school made my life harder for me.

"I constantly felt like people would quite literally talk down to me, asking me if the weather was different down there, if I wanted my highchair at the table to eat.

"I was always having degrading names hurled at me, just because I was short.

"There was one particular group of girls who would constantly pick on me, call me names, push me, one day I remember I was changing for P.E and they were mocking me and putting their shoes on their knees to look shorter, terrorising me in the changing rooms.

"I would go home from school most days crying because I felt like such an outcast."

But after beating the bullies, Catherine will now be the shortest woman to compete in the Miss England semi-finals, standing at just 147.32cm and with size 2.5 shoes.

Her mum will need to make alterations to all her dresses for the glitzy event, but Catherine says she has now learned to be proud of her height.

Catherine added: "As time has gone on I have come to terms with the fact I will always be short and I’m okay with that now

"I’m quite proud of my height, it’s an accomplishment being the shortest person ever in such a massive competition.

“The whole modelling industry is a tall woman-oriented industry. A lot of photographers say that I’m the shortest model they’ve worked with.

"I got into modelling around 21/22 - all the girls were Empire State building tall but I soon grew in confidence.

"Constantly I would be told that I was too short to be within that industry and it is predominately for tall people with long legs.

"But they were wrong, I have been published in magazines, I’m always having photoshoots with different photographers and now I am a semi finalist in the Miss England competition

“After doing quite a lot of modelling competitions I saw the applications this year for Miss England and I thought 'why not?'

"I applied and put myself out there. It went to a public vote and I was number one. I got an email to say that I’m in the semi-finals. I didn't expect to get to the finals.

“I am a little bit nervous to be around people who are so much taller than me and blending into the background. On the other hand it might give me more recognition.

"I have one dress, but it’s too long on me. I find jeans ok as I can get them in the kids section.

"But for dresses, unless I want 'Hello Kitty' on them, I have to get my mum to make alterations. In shoes I’m a size 2.5. I don’t mind getting shoes in the kids sections.

“There’s probably many women out there 4ft 10 and under, I want to inspire them to go for it.

"Chase your dreams and make them your reality and don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong somewhere because of who you are.

"Love yourself and everyone else will follow.”

Miss England organiser Angie Beasley said “ Unlike model agencies, we don’t have height restrictions in Miss England.

"We look for inspiring females to take part in the contest like Catherine. I wish her all the best.”

Catherine will be taking part in the Miss England semi final at Viva Blackpool on April 7.