BRITAIN'S tallest bullock which stood higher than an average horse has died – from arthritis caused by his huge girth.

Chilli, the gigantic steer at Ferne Animal Sanctuary, near Chard, South Somerset, has been put to sleep after his arthritis became too painful.

The black and white Friesian, which stood 6ft 6in tall and weighed more than a ton, attracted worldwide media attention in May last year with hundreds of visitors visiting the sanctuary to see him.

Chilli was left at the front gates at Ferne as a six-day-old calf in 1999 and grew to become Britain's tallest bovine nine years later.

In May last year, sanctuary manager Naomi Clarke talked about Chilli's size.

"We don't know what has made him so tall," she said. "He doesn't eat that much and his sister Jubilee is only 6ft in comparison.

"Chilli's feet and head are in proportion, he is just very large, very friendly and gentle cow."

In a statement, the sanctuary said it had followed the vet's advice.

It said: "Very sadly, his size proved to be his disadvantage. His joints were just not strong enough to cope with his weight and they became more and more arthritic.

"On our vet's advice he was put to sleep and this has, literally, left a very large hole in everyone's life here.

"He will be long remembered as, before he died, Catherine, a member of staff, had already created a life-sized mural of him to show future visitors."