A 13-year-old schoolgirl who was bullied because she's 6ft tall has had the last laugh after winning a beauty contest.
Teenager Harriotte Lane - dubbed Britain's tallest schoolgirl - was taunted about her height because she is almost a foot taller than the average height of other girls her age.
But Harriotte, from Newcastle, overcame the bullies to be named Junior Miss Tyne and Wear Galaxy.
Harriotte said: "I used to get comments from people saying I was too tall to play with them and that I didn't fit in. It was really upsetting for me and it always made me feel really embarrassed.
"But now I use it as motivation - I see being tall as unique and it's something I'm proud of.
"As I got older I felt that being tall wasn't something I should be ashamed of any more and people started to see me for who I really am.
"I come from a very tall family but despite that I've recently overtaken my dad who is just under 6ft tall.
"From modelling and doing pageants, I gained heaps of confidence and now I embrace being tall - it's something that quite literally makes me stand out from the crowd."
Harriotte was three inches taller than the average height for girls her age when she was five and was almost six inches taller than her female classmates by the time she reached 10.
Doctors believe Harriotte - who lives with mum Sarah, 42, dad Bill, 49, and 11-year-old brother William - will shoot up to 6ft 3in based on her current growth rate.
Harriotte said her growth spurt has caused her some health problems.
She said: "The growing pains meant I started feeling sick and dizzy all the time. After months of seeing doctors, my health got worse and they realised my blood pressure was too low.
"I can't actually have any medication or treatment for it because I don't suffer with any type of condition. I've just been told to make sure I'm always well-hydrated and that I live a very healthy and active lifestyle.
"I think the best thing to do that has been joining the pageants - they've helped me raise so much money for charity as well as boosting my confidence."
Now Harriotte will battle it out for the Miss Junior Teen GB title in Blackpool on October 25.
Harriotte has set up the Leave Them Alone Facebook campaign to inspire others to stand up to bullies.
More on Parentdish: Check out our anti-bullying section.