A YOUNG singer's dreams of fame and fortune are in tatters after his boy band was booted off TV talent show X Factor.

Johnny Lloyd, 25, who hails from Clitheroe, is part of Avenue, who ran into controversy when it was revealed they had already signed professional contracts in contravention of X Factor rules.

Their fate has been in the hands of the show's judges since it was made public earlier this month that they had formerly been managed by a one-time producer of the programme, Ashley Tabor.

Judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne decided to give Avenue the push after they decided they were in breach of competition rules.

Johnny's father, Ian Lloyd, 54, of Calderstones Park, Whalley, said the family were upset for him after all the hard work he and band mates had put in to reach the "boot camp" stage of the show.

Mr Lloyd, a director of Mortimers chartered surveyors, Castle Street, Clitheroe, said: "We are, as a family, very sad for him because they had got through to the finals on their own merit.

"The lads are all gutted because they haven't been able to work for four or five weeks and they wanted to get to the shows but that's been taken away from them.

"Louis was gutted to throw them off."

Avenue's mentor Louis Walsh made clear his disappointment about their departure.

He said: "It was a hard decision to have to make.

"The boys are very talented but they broke the rules, so unfortunately they have to go."

Simon Cowell added: "They misled us. It wouldn't have been fair to allow them to deprive another act of being in the finals."

But from despair the lads could still find success and are speaking to several record companies.

Johnny's father added he was hopeful that if Avenue did land a professional contract the pre-publicity associated with the stint on X Factor would prove to be a positive thing for a potential career in pop.