THIS 10-year-old is as cool as they come when it comes to showing off his ice skating skills.

Ben Gregory from Hamworthy has been in skates since he was five years old. But, over the past year, he has discovered a flair for figure skating. Now he is sponsored by The Ark in Poole, where he trains several times a week.

His mother, Michelle, said: “He started skating just for fun when he was much younger, but only in hockey boots. "We live near Poole Park and one day he wanted to skate on the ice rink there. And he just took to it.

“He has been figure skating for a year now, purely because he wanted to do something different. He definitely has his own style of skating, and last August he was asked to join a freestyle extreme ice skating team called BxFIST.”

Ben, who is a pupil at Hamworthy Park Junior, helped open two Christmas ice rinks last year: one in London Vauxhall and one at the BIC, where he performed a routine including techniques such as barrel rolls and hand plants.

“I’m very proud of him,” Michelle continued, “but when I come along to watch him it can be quite nerve-wracking when he jumps. He can even jump over those penguins on the BIC ice rink now.

“Figure skating is definitely his passion – he wants to become good enough to compete in the Olympics one day,” she added.

Ben has participated in two competitions so far, coming second out of 14 at the Basingstoke Coaches Cup in April. He was also the only boy to compete.

Ben said: “When you do a competition you get a big rink on your own and there are lots of people watching, but half way through you don’t even notice because you’re so happy. And you get to make new friends, too.

“The only bad bit is you have to get up really early on the day,” he added.

When asked what his favourite move was, he said: “At the moment it’s a 360 degree turn in the air.”