The World's Strongest Boy (five)

World's Worst Century (C4)

Richard Sandrak has the face of a 12-year-old and the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is deeply disturbing. The story of how his childhood has been dedicated to shaping and sculpting his body is equally unsettling.

While other children played with friends and toys, he was lifting weights the equivalent of a Japanese sumo wrestler. Pound for pound, he can claim to be the world's strongest human being - although there's something inhuman about his young life being sacrificed for the sake of looking like a bodybuilder with a six pack that would be the envy of Peter Andre.

His current personal trainer declared that "he's got the talent, I just supply the tools". But worries that he's simply been exploited by some of those around him didn't go away.

His father instigated the regime when his son was three, having him do six or seven hours training. Making him do 2,000 push-ups wasn't uncommon.

His diet was a secret formula liquid food prepared by his father and which he maintained was better than a five-course meal. Others suspected he was feeding his son steroids.

At eight, Richard was bench-pressing three times over his body weight and performing as Little Hercules. The sight of the boy - and despite his rippling muscles and toned body, that's what he was - posing and dancing in front of a team of dancers, including Miss Fitness America, was uncomfortable.

So was the idea of a website for his fan base. Pictures of a half-naked Richard posted on the site could attract "unsavoury attentions", some rightly feel. Others find his story inspiring, like the two fans who'd travelled hundreds of miles to meet and be photographed with him.

With his father now in jail - for beating his wife and threatening to kill his children - Richard has a new manager, who's helping him break into movies. Director Joey (brother of John) Travolta shot a trailer for his planned film, Little Tarzan. From what we saw, Richard's acting abilities don't match his feats of strength.

The documentary still left us wondering whether he's a victim of exploitation or a natural phenomenon whose development has been rightly encouraged by those around him.

The facts are much clearer about the 14th century - it was a bad time to be around, what with half the population of Europe being wiped out by the Black Death.

We've never had it so good compared to 1348-1350 when nothing could stop the disease spreading across Europe. No-one was prepared for the speed it moved, causing symptoms of vomiting, pus-filled swellings, and purple and black blotches.

Within months, 20 per cent of the population was reduced to a pile of rotting corpses. Medicine failed the sick, violent and macabre religious cults such as the Flagellants appeared, and morality collapsed.

It wasn't all bad news. Peasants who survived were able to charge more for their services because of the labour shortage.