SWINDON singer and guitarist Mark Kilminster is celebrating his first taste of chart success with a debut single entering the Top 40. Mark, 26, beat off 20,000 other hopefuls to become the lead in Stamford Amp, the resident band on BBC1's the Saturday Show.

The band are well known for performing cover versions on the Saturday morning children's show.

But now their first single, Anything for You, is number 33 in the official UK Top 40 following its release last Monday.

Mark's mother Diane, 55, of Copse Avenue, Highworth, said: "I'm really proud of him, it's absolutely brilliant.

"It is what he has always wanted to do, after all."

Mark, a former pupil of Warneford School in Highworth, now lives in London with three other band members.

Brought up in Highworth, he started his musical career by playing the euphonium in the Highworth Silver Band.

He went on to take the part of George Harrison with the Beatles tribute band, the Ludwig Beatles, and played with Swindon rock and pop covers band, Penfold.

Mark and his fellow musicians, Chris Leonard, on lead guitar, David Tench on keyboards, Tim Jackson on bass and Guy Anderton on drums had two weeks to rehearse before they were thrust into the limelight.

Signed to Mercury Records, the band enjoyed all the trappings of fame before releasing their first record, which has been described as an uplifting rock and pop explosion.

They have sung with Westlife, jammed with Blue, had their picture taken with Britney and even exchanged yoga tips with Sting.

You can see Mark and Stamford Amp on The Saturday Show on BBC1 at 9am.