A GROUP of children from High Barnet reached the final of a national skipping and dancing competition, due to be aired by the BBC later this year.

The four youngsters beat off thousands of competitors to make it through all five rounds of the CBBC Jump Britain contest - despite never having danced with a rope before.

Eleven-year-old twins Michael and Lukas Fernandes-Penzse, from Vale Drive, Ciara Olive, 12, and Liam Org, 13, made it to the knock-out final, recorded in front of a live studio audience over the past week.

They were one of ten teams from 20,000 to successfully skip and dance their way through four months of heats.

The twins' mother, Arlete Fernandes, said: "I was very proud. I'm not a pushy mother, but I know the boys can dance.

"At first the skipping meant nothing at all - it was all a bit of a joke. Every week we thought 'this is it'. We didn't think they stood much of a chance.

"But then they ended up in the final. They definitely have Portuguese blood when it comes to dancing."