An 11-year-old Franco-Mexican boy has achieved a bullfighting world record by being the youngest matador to kill six bulls in a single fight.

Guinness World Records will officially verify the record after viewing a video of the contest.

The record-holding matador, Michelito Lagravere Peniche, was quoted to have left the bloodied bullring in the south-eastern city of Merida in Yucatan State saying triumphantly, “I’m happy to have achieved this great victory.”

Pressure from child protection and anti-bullfighting campaign groups gave rise to much controversy, although at the last minute authorities decided to give the go-head anyway. Merida’s mayor had suspended the planned spectacle, insisting that it was illegal for youths under the age of 18 to take part in high-risk activities at any rate.

But Michelito’s father Michel Lagravere – a former French bullfighter – launched an appeal, managing to persuade the state prosecutor’s office to overturn the ban.

“We produced all the authorisations and guarantees we were following the rules, including the essential agreement from the National Association of Matadors,” said Mr Lagravere. “Michelito has fought bulls since he was six years old and he’s never had a serious accident.”

Around 3,500 spectators gathered to watch the fight, as the child star is already an international name in the world of bullfighting. Michelito entered the world of bullfighting at age four, killing his first bull calf at age six.

In response to heavy criticism, Michelito has been defiant about the sport he loves: “The bullfighting opponents shouldn’t stick their nose in things they don’t like,” he insisted before his record attempt. “No-one is forcing them to watch bullfights or to keep informed about them. It’s as if I told a boy who does motocross not to do it, it’s very bothersome.”

Last year, several French cities banned the child prodigy from killing animals during his performances after a high-profile campaign from anti-bullfighting activists.

The anti-bullfighting alliance in France said it had targeted him over other younger matadors because “he fights in corridas aiming to kill.”