A NORTH-East man has made it into the Guinness World Records as the oldest living man with Down's Syndrome.

Doctors did not expect him to live past 14, but Peter Davison has proved the experts wrong by making it to 67.

Born on October 20, 1939, Peter lives at the family home in Pallion, Sunderland, where he is looked after by his 76-year-old brother, Alf.

Niece Claire Lowson, said: "When my gran and grandad were alive, he was the apple of their eye. He has brought so much pleasure to the family."

Although Peter now suffers from dementia, his family believe he would be proud of his new title.

It was Claire and her family, who now live in Oxfordshire, who first discovered Peter's claim to fame.

She said: "My son Aidan was given a copy of Guinness World Records 2007 for his birthday and found an entry saying that a man in South Africa was the oldest at 52, but he knew that Uncle Peter was much older than that."

To authenticate the claim, the family had to produce Peter's birth certificate and a letter from his doctor.

Last week, they received the good news they were waiting for - that Peter is a record breaker.

Claire, a teacher, said: "We were really pleased for Peter and for Alf, he really does such a fantastic job looking after him."