POP lovers from all over the world are bombarding a North-East fan club for information about their critically ill idol.

Sixties singer Mike Smith, who led The Dave Clark Five, fell at his home in Spain on Saturday, suffering a serious spinal injury.

His fan club is run by John Briggs, from Darlington, who is also a close friend of the musician.

Since the accident, Mr Briggs has received hundreds of e-mails each day from worried fans.

"I'm just getting constant e-mails from people but a lot of the information is hard to get hold of," he said. "The situation at the moment is that his condition is critical."

Mr Briggs found out about the fall on Sunday when police arrived at his home in The Mead.

Mr Smith's wife had been trying to ring him from the hospital in Cadiz but couldn't get through because he was online.

"Mike is my hero and we have been friends for a long time. I don't want anything to happen to him," said Mr Briggs.

"The annoying part is that he'd just started to get back on the road again after not touring since 1968."

Mr Briggs helped the singer get together with his wife, Charlie. She had dated Mr Smith in the 1960s and managed to contact him again a few years ago via the website.

The reunion led to a wedding in Gibraltar, which Mr Briggs and his wife, Lynn, attended.

Fans can visit the website at: www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip /theater/9169/index2.html or www.voy.com/14321/