THE man in charge of music at one of Colchester's most popular nightspots is in the running to be named DJ of the year.

James Braybrooke, the resident DJ at Atik on Colchester High Street, has won the Eastern heat of the competition and is now done to the final five in the contest.

The competition is run by The Deltic Group, the UK's largest operator of clubs and late night bars, and each remaining competitor will have 25 minutes to impress clubbers with a set at Atik in Windsor.

An all-expenses paid trip to the Miami Ultra Music Festival is the prize for the winner, along with a glitzy trophy and DJ kit.

James started behind the decks at school parties when he was 11, and went on to set up his own mobile disco before entering the world of nightclubs.

His claim to fame is warming up the crowd for Girls Aloud in their early days ahead of a performance in Paris.

He said: "I have dabbled in radio DJ-ing but I always head back to the clubs as you can’t beat the energy of the live crowd.

“I’m excited about the final and looking forward to delivering a set that will get the crowd going and impress the judges.

"I love my job and would love to claim the title.”

Industry experts will decide the winner on a range of criteria from appearance and stage presence to technical ability and audience engagement.

Independent reviewers have also visited the home clubs of each of the finalists and will pass on their notes to the judges.