Matt Cardle’s school music teacher has seen a rise in the number of pupils wanting singing lessons.

Adrian Marple said the X Factor winner was an “inspiration” to the children at his old school, Stoke College near Sudbury.

The school has taken on an extra guitar teacher and is expecting a rush of budding young musicians to take up lessons.

Matt, who achieved an A* in GCSE music, got his first taste of performing in front of a large audience while he was a pupil there.

Current pupils have been particularly interested in listening to the old recordings of him singing while he was their age.