Dartmouth town councillor and former RAF Group Captain Robin Springett is dancing for joy after becoming one of the top morris men in the country.

The 67-year-old has been morris dancing since he gave up playing rugby 34 years ago.

Now he has become squire elect of the Morris Ring of England, the parent body for 140 morris sides.

Robin, who is a member of the Dartington Morris Men, will take over the top morris job of squire in September at a huge morris ring meeting at Rotham in Kent.

Meanwhile, Robin said jokingly about his morris career: 'It's the best opportunity for free beer that I have ever come across.'

More seriously, he said the job of squire would mean he was 'responsible for maintaining the traditions of the morris ring and the standards of dance and generally ensuring that everyone enjoys themselves. I suppose it involves maintaining the fellowship of the ring,' he added.

Robin took up morris dancing in 1978 when he decided it was less confrontational than rugby and was a founder member of the Extraordinary Rheindahlen Morris in Germany where he was a squadron leader at the time.

During his travels with the RAF he has danced in Belgium as well as at Harrogate and the Grand Union Morris near London.

In 1981, he 'bumped' into the Dartington Morris Men in a pub in Slapton and immediately signed up.

'I have been with Dartington ever since,' he added.

During the summer, Robin is dancing with the 24-strong Dartington side every Friday somewhere in the South Hams or Torbay.

'Now I'm 67, I can't jump so high,' he said. ' We are always trying to encourage new members and young people to join us and we have some good young dancers.

He pointed out that there are lot of morris sides which are not members of the ring and there are also many ladies' sides.

They also actively raise cash for charities and he said the Dartington side had raised £3,000 for the Rowcroft Hospice.

He said: 'One of the main reasons we dance is to collect money for charity.'

Anyone interested in the Dartington side can find them practicing on Friday evenings at Dartington Primary School.