SHE might have reached her 95th birthday, but flexible Florence Searle certainly knows the secret to retaining her youth.

The great, great gran of seven still models for her nearby hairdressing salon and takes part in a daily exercise regime to keep her joints supple.

And she has become an internet sensation getting 8,000 hits on her YouTube video in which she gives hairstyling tips.

She said: “I am independent. If I can do it myself, I will do it myself.

“All my children live in Colchester.

I have looked after myself, I am healthy and I’ve only ever been ill once in my life.”

The mother-of-six was born in London’s East End and had four brothers.

During the Second World War, she worked nights in an ammunition factory inWoolwich.

Florence later moved to Colchester with her children, who include a set of twins, because a friend had moved to the town.

For the past 40 years she has been a model for Loui Hair Studio, in Colchester’s North Station Road.

Florence said: “I walk round every Tuesday at 9.15am. I don’t pay and they don’t pay me, but sometimes I allow the staff to park in the space in front of my house.”

Apprentices fine tune their skills on Florence’s naturallywavy locks while she sits in the same salon chair she has used for decades.

She added: “They tell me I’m a celebrity.” .

Her claim to fame stems from a YouTube video she agreed to take part in for her grandson’s girlfriend, hairdressing blogger Hollie Wakeham.

Aged 90 at the time, Florence modelled hair rollers that can be slept in and reminisced about how curly hair was the style when she was in her twenties.

The video, in which Florence declares “I’m a glam nan queen” – admitting she needed her “teeth in” to say it – has had more than 8,000 views.

Even being partially sighted in her later years hasn’t stopped Florence catching the bus to Colchester’s Gala Bingo for a game where there is also a special spot reserved for her.

She has memorised the positions of the slides used to cross off numbers on the bingo board.

Florence, who was widowed 35 years ago, spent her 95th birthday with some of her large family, whose youngest member is aged six months, enjoying some of her favourite card games including poker and brag.

Later on this year she will be going on holiday with family to Majorca.