BREAK-DANCING pensioner Fred Bowers failed to reach the finals of Britain's Got Talent.

The 73-year-old's body bopping performance last night failed to win the public vote despite a deafening round of applause from the audience.

Given the nickname 'OAP Diddy' by presenter Ant, Mr Bowers, of Charnwood Avenue, Sutton Bonington, danced on stage alongside women in fluorescent club wear.

He proudly told judges that he still goes clubbing seven nights a week.

His performance included somersaults, flips and moves on the ground.

But judge Amanda Holden said he would be better suited to producing an exercise video than going through to the finals, which earned her boos from the audience.

She said: "First of all, well done Fred for still being alive – some of those moves because of your age were potentially life threatening.

"I really admire you for doing it for the OAP posse."

Notoriously critical Simon Cowell wished him the best of luck, and added: "You are what you are, you've had a great time, it's not much different to what you've done before. I like you because you don't take yourself too seriously."

And judge Piers Morgan said: "Those are the best moves I've seen on the dance floor since Simon got drunk at last year's Christmas party."

He said Fred was an inspiration to all that life goes on.

The OAP clubber had blood down his right arm at the end of the performance, but it is not known how he injured himself.

He was up against seven other acts and only two went through to the grand final on Saturday. They were saxophonist Julian Smith and the singing grandfather and granddaughter known as 2 Grand.

The winner will take home a £100,000 and appear at the Royal Variety Show.

Mr Bowers made national headlines this week after it was reported he is claiming £70 a week for a bad leg.

But he told the Evening Post he is not breaking the law in claiming disability allowance.

He said: "I don't think I've done anything wrong. The fact is that I cannot walk very far because of my leg, but I can break dance."

Mr Bowers worked as a training officer at Meridian in Nottingham for more than 35 years before becoming a landscape gardener. He said he was forced to give up work because of the condition of his left leg, which he first injured more than 50 years ago while training with the Royal Artillery in Troon.

delia.monk@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk