PUPILS were treated to a concert during morning assembly by an up-and-coming boy band.

Irish-born popstars D-Side played to about 275 year ten pupils at Acklam Grange School, in Middlesbrough, yesterday after a vote on a local radio show.

Pupils bombarded the Steve Harris show on 96.6TFM with e-mails and won the competition to get the band, who were voted 2002 Smash Hits Best New Tour Act, to play at their school.

Headteacher John Bate said: "Everyone seems to have really enjoyed it and the students have been really looking forward to the boys coming to the school to perform.

"There has been a real buzz about the school and they have kept me up to date with progress all the way through the competition.

"Everyone gave D-Side a good old fashioned Middlesbrough welcome."

The band, who have had a top ten hit with Speechless, is made up of Shane Creevey, 19, Derek Morgan, 18, Ryan O'Riain, 19, Damien Bowe, 21, and Dane Guiden, 20.

D-Side have already made their Top of the Pops debut and visited Acklam Grange after finishing their first album in Miami.

They have been working with American musicians and producers Harvey Mason Jnr, Damon Thomas and Desmond Child, who have previously worked Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and N Sync.