Sarah Jones, known as Paddy, performed a dazzling sequence of flips, spins and high kicks with her young dance partner, 40 years her junior.

Mrs Jones, originally from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, only took up salsa dancing five years ago following the death of her husband, David.

The septuagenarian wore a skimpy blue dress as she snatched victory in last night's final of the hit Spanish show, Tu Si Que Vales (You Are Worth It), performing with her local dance school instructor, Nico.

“I feel I’m extremely lucky that I can do what I do and I shall continue as long as I possibly can,” she told the TV audience, after she and Nico accepted their prize money of €10,000 (£9,055).

Contacted by his local newspaper in Stourbridge, Mrs Jones’s son, Phil Jones, said: “It’s fabulous. We’re very proud of her.”

The Stourbridge News reported that Mrs Jones was a professional dancer in her youth. She started dancing when she was two and a half years old, concentrating on classical ballet and tap.

Now a grandmother seven times over, she moved to Gandia, near Valencia, where she took up salsa after her husband died. She has travelled abroad to display her dancing talent, appearing in May at an international salsa congress in Los Angeles.

"I'm living proof age is no barrier. When the music plays I just want to move," she said.

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