London Hippodrome Casino to Hire 'Dwarf Bouncers'

The largest casino in the UK is hiring "door dwarves" as it seeks to create a team of Britain's smallest bouncers.

London's Hippodrome Casino is hoping to hire a full team of dwarf bouncers who will man the doors at one of the entrances at the plush casino in Leicester Square.

As well as the usual door control required for a doorman job, applicants will also be required to "bring a smile to people's faces".

An advert placed in the Metro newspaper read: "The Hippodrome is seeking to create a team of Britain's smallest bouncers - Door Dwarfs - for its new entrance in Cranbourn Street."

The advert adds that it will welcome applications from those under 4ft 10 inches.

The owner of the Hippodrome, Simon Thomas, has defended the hiring policy as continuing a tradition which has been seen at the casino since the Victorian times.

He told IB Times UK: "The Hippodrome is an enormous entertainment complex with incredible history and the mix we have now covers everything from the casino to entertainment, cabaret, bars and restaurants. We are unlike any other casino in the country.

"We have tried various different kinds of bouncers or greeters on the doors from pretty girls and pretty boys to showgirls.

"We also used one of our bouncers who is a dwarf and he went down incredibly well, so we are extending that to have a full team."

Thomas said the entrance the dwarf bouncers will attend will lead straight into the entertainment section of the casino.

Thomas accepts the advert may be seen as a controversial way to exploit people's physical attributes merely for entertainment purposes rather than a true hiring policy.

However, he rejects any accusations and said that so far the response to the advert has been "amazing".

"The Hippodrome is different and we want to bring a smile to people's faces in the same way that a lot of entertainment places do. We're not going to apologise for that," he said.

"We think it's fantastic recruitment and we're not forcing anyone to apply."

Thomas said that so far the number of people who have applied for the role has already reached double figures, including one who has full doorman qualifications.

Thomas described the Hippodrome is a "category changer" whose job it is to "increase people's curiosity".

He added that hiring dwarves is part of its "history of innovative entertainment" dating back to the 1900s, when high-diving dwarf acts such as Tiny Tim and Little Titch used to perform inside the casino.