OLDER people tried salsa dancing during an event organised by young people following the success of television's Strictly Come Dancing.

A group of young people known as the Millennium Volunteers set up the session at Bullion Hall, Chester-le-Street.

The volunteers, aged 17 to 22, from Durham and Chester-le-Street, secured £700 so 27 older people could attend.

They worked with Age Concern Durham County to pay for taxis and a minibus to take people to the venue.

The visitors had afternoon tea with scones served with jam and cream and a taster session from salsa teacher Peter Robson, who takes Monday night classes at the Gala Theatre in Durham.

Age Concern's inter-generational worker, Marianne Patterson, said: "They are a group of young people who got hooked on the television show Strictly Come Dancing and they wanted to recreate it and put on a dance, so they approached us.

"As the older people are more used to traditional dances, it was something new to them, but they all had a go. The tutor said they could all become really good, with practice."

Men and women in their 70s and 80s and one man in his 90s joined in.

After the salsa class, a more traditional sequence dance was held, with such dances as the foxtrot, waltz and quickstep.

Ms Patterson said: "It was nice, because negativity between generations goes in both directions, so this was good for older people's perception of young people and vice versa. It shows younger people are not all out stealing cars and taking drugs.

"They wanted to put on an event, but also do something positive for the older people in their community."