A FREE runner who practises his daring leaps and acrobatics around the streets of Exeter has taken part in a performance in Dubai, specially commissioned by the president of the United Arab Emirates.

Kie Willis was a member of the 23-strong Urban Freeflow team which recently performed one of the world's biggest-ever live free-run shows in Dubai. The performance was also shown live across four TV channels in the Middle East.

Kie took up free running, which is also known as parkour, four years ago. The 20-year-old said he was inspired to try the extreme sport, which involves vaulting between roofs and off lampposts, after watching a documentary on free running in Britain.

Two years ago, he joined Urban Freeflow, the first professional organisation set up to cater for the sport. He now coaches others in free running in Exeter, and has also done film and TV work, as well as performing around the UK and Europe with Urban Freeflow.

He taught himself parkour moves, practising around the streets of Topsham, where he lives, and Exeter. "It's not that dangerous and I was fairly physically co-ordinated because I have a background of skateboarding." When he started, he said there were only three people in Exeter practising the sport but he had recently noticed a massive increase in interest in parkour. He now coaches about 20 to 30 people.

He practised around Exeter Cathedral and in city car parks, and added that it was perfectly legal as long as he practised on public property. "It's not in our interests to damage anything. The police are really encouraging as long as we don't cause anyone else any harm or damage anything."

For more information, visit www.urbanfreeflow.com