Britain's Got Talent won by Spelbound gymnasts

Gymnastics troupe Spelbound have won ITV1's Britain's Got Talent, earning an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance later this year.

The group, of Ashford, Surrey, also picked up £100,000 after winning the final with an act which saw one member thrown over the heads of the judges.

Street dance duo Twist & Pulse were the runners-up in the public vote and drummer Kieran Gaffney, 13, came third.

Judge Simon Cowell said "the right boys and girls won on the night".

He likened Spelbound's routine to an Olympic gold medal-winning performance and said it was one of the most astonishing things he had ever seen on live TV.

Fellow judge Amanda Holden added: "We are hosting the Olympics Games and I can only think 'what a brilliant opening act'."

Spelbound said their victory was unbelievable and they would now be focusing on the world acrobatic championships.

There are 13 members of the group in total, with ages ranging from 12 to 24.

Runners-up Twist & Pulse described their act as "street-omedy"

Other acts to make the final included grandmother Janey Cutler, boy band Connected, singing accountant Christopher Stone and impressionist Paul Burling.

Street dancer Tobias Mead, dancing dog Chandi and her owner Tina Humphrey, and boy singer Liam McNally made up the final 10.

The dance acts had been hoping to repeat the success of former winners Diversity, who won the talent show last year, and 2008 winner George Sampson.

Teenage dancers and best friends Twist & Pulse coined the phrase "street-omedy" to describe their act, a fusion of street dance and comedy.

Previous victors, such as mobile phone salesman turned opera singer Paul Potts, who won in 2007, have turned their talent show win into a lucrative career, although none has matched the success of last year's runner-up Susan Boyle.

The singer recorded the UK's biggest-selling album of 2009 - and was narrowly beaten to the same accolade in the US by Taylor Swift.