They have been waltzing far longer than the Strictly Come Dancing team but few people have seen the Inverclyders.

An award-winning Scottish dance troupe who compete in wheelchairs, the team have dedicated so much sheer passion to their sport they have soared to the top spot as the reigning UK champions.

Founded nearly 30 years ago, they have gone on to become one of the UK's most successful teams, but time may have caught up with them.

After several long-serving members retired after this year's success, they may have to give up their dream if no new members can be found.

If they cannot find at least two more dancers and a new teacher, the team will be unable to compete.

The remaining four members of the team have put out an urgent plea for people to try out wheelchair dancing.

Clare Stewart and her husband Darryl, 41, who have been dancing together with the team for years, say they are "desperate for new people" to keep them going.

"I have been part of the team since 1993 but I first got into wheelchair dancing while I was at school," says Claire.

"I had watched a TV programme about it during one of the summer holidays and when I got back to school, there was actually a class offered for it.

"I did that for a number of years at school and we eventually took part in competitions."

She adds: "Darryl went to the same school as me and did it as well, that's how we got to know each other better.

"After I finished school, I wanted to keep doing wheelchair dancing and that's how I found out about the Inverclyders."

The couple, who both have cerebral palsy, dance together as partners and say they "absolutely love" the challenge.

Their teammate Carl Baller, who uses a wheelchair after suffering an accident while in the Royal Marines, has also been a member for several years.

Agnes McCarney, another member of the term, is in a wheelchair due to suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Wheelchair dancing started in Scotland in the early 1960s using recognised, simple and slow dances, such as the Gaelic Waltz, which was relatively easy to reconstruct for wheelchair users, keeping the original dance movements the same, as much as possible.

More complex and varied dances were then introduced, such as Strip the Willow and the Virginia Reel, which are now known as set dances.

It has grown to become hugely popular with wheelchair users around the globe, with the international championships being held every two years.

Competitors are required to dance in various ballroom styles, as well as performing Latin American routines such as samba and paso doble.

In competitions, teams will be required to perform routines together and will include formation dances, where four, six or eight couples will dance in formation.

To someone watching for the first time, this can look like them moving around each other in pairs, performing different moves around the room and coming back into formation in perfect timing.

Clare admits this was her favourite aspect of wheelchair dancing.

"The team championships are my favourite thing about wheelchair dancing as we practice so much and work together to get the best result we possibly can," she says.

"One of the things you have to do during a competition is called a formation dance, whereby your team has to make up and perform its own dance routine.

"We have got to get at least 75% in the judges' marks to have any chance of winning a competition.

"We usually do pretty well at this."

Clare regularly dreams of one day seeing wheelchair dancing featured on one of her favourite TV shows.

She adds: "I would absolutely love to see a wheelchair-bound celebrity on Strictly Come Dancing one day.

"It would be great for us to have that kind of recognition."

For that to happen though, the team desperately needs to find new members and a teacher.

Everything was going well when the team added yet another UK championship title to their collection in Blackpool in March.

The victory was bittersweet, however, as four members and the group's dance teacher decided to retire on a high and leave the dance hall behind them.

The remaining four members of the team have put out a plea for new dancers to come along and try out wheelchair dancing for themselves so they don't have to give up their passion.

"We want to keep the team going but we need to have at least six members in order to enter competitions," explains Clare.

"We just hope we can continue doing it."

Clare says it is not just the Inverclyders who are suffering, with other teams affected by more than just members retiring.

She adds: "Either through people getting older or whatever, more and more clubs are being shut down as a result of a lack of members.

"There are another three teams in the Paisley area that I know of but I wouldn't be surprised if they're having the same problems that we have."

The team say issues like the availability of transport at night mean it can be difficult for people to get to the clubs, though they are hopeful the team's past successes at national level may be an attractive prospect to fellow wheelchair users.

"We have won the UK championships numerous times and even on occasions where we haven't won, we have still been very successful in terms of marks," says Clare proudly.

"We have not had any interest from potential new members yet. We are desperate for new people to come along and try out wheelchair dancing."

"There might have been people out there who have been able-bodied and enjoyed dancing before they were in a wheelchair," adds Clare.

"We want them to know that they can still enjoy dancing, it doesn't have to stop for them."

The hope that they can continue is one that is shared by the country's governing body.

Dorothy Liddell, chairwoman of the National Association of Wheelchair Dancing, says: "I hope that they can find a new teacher and get new members.

"It is very sad that such a successful team are in this situation where they are now unable to continue. I hope they can turn it around."

For more information on wheelchair dancing in Scotland and on how to join, you can visit the SWDA website.