Boy band Union J given a hero's welcome at the Morrisons supermarket in Spruce Drive, Totton

ONE of Britain's biggest boy bands received a hero's welcome by hundreds of adoring fans in Hampshire this afternoon.

Screams rang out as the X factor stars arrived and walked through the aisles of the Morrisons supermarket in Spruce Drive, Totton, towards hundreds of fans who had been waiting nearly two hours to meet their idols.

The X Factor stars have been signing copies of their new single You Got it All from their new album of the same name.

Fans gathered in the supermarket from 2pm with the queue quickly spilling out of the store and snaking around the building and into the car park.

Hundreds of fans have been queuing to meet their heroes

The supporters, mostly teenage girls and their mums, kept warm in the cold by singing the bands songs while one even brought a blanket featuring a picture of the boys.

The excitement reached a peak after 4pm as scores of school children arrived after lessons from schools across Hampshire.

They posed for selfies while some brought mistletoe to ask for a Christmas kiss.

The boy band went from talented hopefuls to overnight heartthrobs in the 2012 series of the hit talent show.

They also performed the single on X Factor the Sunday before last - which is the follow up to hits Carry You, Beautiful Life and Tonight (We live Forever) which all reached the top ten in the UK charts.

Louise Knighton from Totton was one of the first in the queue. Her mum Gill had brought her there for her 16th birthday.

Louise who was clutching a copy of their new album said: "I had no idea, I thought I was going to physio and then coming for shopping.

"When I found out I burst into tears. This doesn't compare to any other birthday."

Antonia Smith from Downton was also celebrating her 16th birthday and was there with mum Sara and gran Jenny Wedge. Antonia said: "As soon as they put it on their Facebook that they were coming on my birthday I knew I had to come. It's amazing."

Staff from Morrison's dressed in Christmas hats kept the fans fed and watered handing out mince pies, sweets and drinks.

Girls also brought copies of posters and custom photograph montages for them to sign.

At some points the security guard had to tell the line to keep moving because so many people were taking selfies with the boy band.

Laura O'Hara from Dibden Purlieu, who came with a group of friends said of theboyband: "I love them as they are so down to earth.

"You can tell they love what they do.

"They have fun on the stage and it makes everyone smile and they are beautiful humans."

Ellie Parsons

Ellie Parsons, seven, from Wellow said: "It was very good. I loved getting my CD signed and they called me a gorgeous girl."

Morrison's staff also got the chance to meet the boy band.

Nearly 500 people came to the store to welcome them and the shop has sold more than 600 copies of their new album since it went on sale yesterday.