Olly Murs is one of Witham’s “greatest stars ever”, according to a town councillor who the X Factor star helped almost ten years ago.

Wayne Tearle is another huge supporter of Witham’s X Factor star.

And he said he has never forgotten Olly pointing him in the right direction when he was out of work a few years back.

He said: “Olly is one of Witham's greatest stars ever and I would like to just give greater praise to Olly Murs who is no doubt going to get into the final of X Factor and I am sure he will be winning.”

Mr Tearle, of Blott Rise, Witham, has been a town councillor since 2001 and he now work as a railway controller in London.

“Years ago when I was out of work Olly worked as a recruitment consultant at Prime Appointments and pointed me in the right direction in employment and gave me the confidence from which I have grown today,” he said.

He said he had worked for Woolworths, a dental directory and at Marsh in Witham, but then had problems finding work.

He said: “Olly was really helpful. At that time my confidence was slightly low as I had no work but he gave me the hope to carry on.”

Mr Tearle said Olly, of Carraways, deserves his dream of winning the ITV show and he thinks he would be the X Factor’s “greatest ever pop star”.

He added he watched Olly sing on Sunday at The Battesford Court pub in Newland Street and he “jumped for joy” when twins John and Edward Grimes were voted off the show.

“I knew he would go through but everybody in the pub was screaming at the TV cheering him on,” he said.