A MALVERN grandmother plunged into the ocean and celebrated her 90th birthday by going body surfing.

Jane Woodman, who lives in the Link, was on holiday at Croyde in North Devon with family members when she took the plunge the day before she hit 90.

Pat Pitt, Mrs Woodman's daughter, said: "My mother has been coming to Croye to surf for the last 15 years, and just because she was 90 the next day, that was no reason not to go in again.

"She went body boarding with the help of her family. She lay on the board and went in with the waves but couldn’t stand up again so my sister, Jill Woodman, and I had to haul her to her feet.

"She then said 'Great, let’s do it again', and went back in four or five times then walked 300 yards back up the beach."

Also accompanying them was Mrs Pitt's daughter, Maddie Pitt, making three generations of the same family on the breakers at the same time.

She said: "Other surfers were amazed and came up to Jane and said she was 'an inspiration', 'very impressive' and 'amazing' and even the life guards gave her the thumbs up and shouted 'Well done'."

Mrs Pitt, who lives in Upper Welland, said that her mum rode a horse for the first time when she was 80 years old and went paragliding in Chamonix when she was 85.

"She's quite adventurous," she said.