Height controversy returns to Miss France contest

A disqualified contestant is demanding Miss France is measured to see if she is tall enough to be the country's beauty queen.

Aurelie Brun was stripped of a regional heat for the title after it was revealed she had her spine stretched to appear taller.

Now she wants the new Miss France 2002, Sylvie Tellier, to prove her height. Organisers have refused her demands.

Aurelie gained an extra 3.8 cms to meet competition rules insisting on a minimum height of 1.72 metres.

She was later reported by another contestant for using the stretching technique to boost her height and had the Miss Loire-Forez title taken off her.

Aurelie says she believes Sylvie is only 1.68 metres tall.

Miss France organiser Genevieve de Fontenay said that measuring Sylvie was out of the question.

The beauty contest has recently been dogged by controversy. In 2001, officials had to deny rumours that winner Elodie Gossuin had been born a man.