A 3ft 3in Polish "count" who entertained European gentry by playing a miniature violin has been restored to his rightful place in Durham's history.

A pair of shoes, tiny three piece suit and top hat that have gone on display in Durham Town Hall look as though they were destined for a child's doll, but they actually belonged to Joseph Boruwlaski, the city's smallest entertainer and raconteur.

The count was, in fact, a Polish commoner who travelled the courts of Europe before settling in Durham in 1820 after he fell out of favour with his benefactors. He lived in the city until his death in 1837 at the age of 99.

Now, £1,500 of restoration work has been carried out on his clothes, violin and life-sized portrait and the artefacts are back on show in a new display at Durham Town Hall.

Chris Fish, the council's senior conservation officer, said the count's clothes were left to the city when he died, but they were damaged last year by a leak in the town hall.

He said: "We've had his clothes for 176 years, so we had a duty to make sure they were kept in good order.

"We had the opportunity to restore the clothes and we took that as a chance to redo the whole display."

Boruwlaski is the only commoner to be buried in Durham Cathedral. His tomb, inside the north door, is marked by a flagstone bearing the initials JB

According to Bill Frost, who tells the history of Durham Town Hall to visitors, Boruwlaski was a member of a group of performers and artists, which included a 6ft 6in character known as Mr Kimble.

He was a well-known public speaker, but his oratory skills held less weight with his English wife, who would pick him up and put him on top of the fireplace when they argued