Meet The World's Shortest Couple

The world's shortest couple - who both measure less then three feet tall - have proved that size doesn't matter when it comes to love.

Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros and Katyucia Hoshino, from Brazil, both have forms of dwarfism and stand at 34.8in and 35.2in respectively.

The pair, who hope to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, said they met on a social media website ten years ago and started chatting on MSN Messenger.

Paulo, 30, who has a rare genetic condition called diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism, said it was love at first sight for him.

'I found her very beautiful from the first moment I saw her,' he said

But the attraction wasn't mutual. Katyucia, 26, who has achondroplasia dwarfism, which affects bone growth, initially blocked him on the instant messaging site.

She said: 'The first time I started talking to Paulo, he was really annoying. He had cheap-pick up lines.'

Paulo, who works as a legal secretary, said:

'She thought I was trying to flirt but I was just being nice. According to her I was a really boring guy.'

That would have been the end of the matter, if Katyucia hadn't suddenly decided to unblock him 18 months later.

Katyucia, who now owns her own beauty salon that has been specially adapted for her size, said:

'One day something happened in my head and I went and unblocked him. By then he was already more relatable.'

Paulo said:

'When she unblocked me, it didn't take me more than a minute to say hello. we started speaking and she said I was more civilised.'

Two months later, Paulo travelled more than 186 milies to Katyucia's home city of Londrina to meet her.He said he was bowled over by Katyucia's beauty, but she was shy and unimpressed with his dress sense.

Paulo said: 'What most attracted me to her, besides her beauty, was how sweet she was. It was her sweet personality.'

The beautician said:

'He was wearing an orange shirt, jeans and sunglasses - thank God it has improved since then.'

Despite Katyucia's concerns about the long distance between them, five days later the pair started dating and after four years they moved in together.

Katyucia said: 'I had never dated before so Paulo is my first boyfriend, my first everything.'

Now they say they're are like any other couple. Paulo has a specially-adapted car to enable him to drive, while Katyucia's beauty salon has been specially modified for her height.

Paulo, who has ambitions to run for mayor in his home town of Itapeva, said: 'Basically, we are a normal couple but our height is a little smaller.

'The best thing about our relationship is our closeness, our companionship we have for each other.