DOZENS of star struck fans flocked to the Victoria Shopping Centre to meet their idol this afternoon.

Shane Filan, of Westlife fame, was signing copies of his new book My Side of Life, upstairs in the shopping centre and was greeted by cheers from the assembled masses as he arrived.

The first fans in the queue had been waiting since 9am to see their idol and could barely contain themselves as they waited to meet him.

Sarah Titmuss, 30, of Sandham Close, Rochford, had arrived on her own but by the time Shane arrived she was firm friends with her fellow early birds.

She said: "I had to swap my day off to be here.

"I have been a fan of Westlife since the start in 1998 and Shane happens to be my favourite so it has worked out brilliantly.

"Everyone knows I'm a huge fan so everybody was contacting me on Facebook when they heard he was coming to Southend."

Sarah had been queuing all day with Lauren Blake, 26 from Eastwood, Lisa Sanders, 34 from Basildon and Sue Horner, 38 from Southend.

Sue said: "I've never met him before and I was so excited, I might have looked calm before but I think I was keeping it all inside.

"We didn't know each other at all before we met this morning but we have all become buddies throughout the day."

After meeting Shane, most of the adoring fans are hotfooting it to Basildon where this evening he will be playing at the Towngate Theatre as part of his You and Me tour.