POP star Ritchie Neville was mobbed by pupils at a Worcester school when he dropped in to celebrate the county's first specialist arts college.

The ex-member of world-famous pop group 5ive was special guest at Bishop Perowne CE High School at its gala evening last night.

Launching the arts college, the entertainer wished all the youngsters well.

"It's great to see such wonderful, talented people," said the 23-year-old, who was invited to the launch by assistant headteacher Mike Perry, who taught Ritchie at Bromsgrove School.

"It's so important that more schools do things like this. If people have creative energy they have to channel it into something."

Speaking exclusively to the Evening News, he said he was concentrating on recording a solo album, following the split of the group last year.

"I'm enjoying being solo, it's been a fantastic year. I had five fast and furious years flying around, but I don't think you can fully appreciate what it entails.

"It's been nice to have a bit of time to realise what I did and reflect and find myself.

"I would definitely have liked to come to a school like this. From what Mike's been telling me, the whole emphasis is not like the London stage schools where they come out like clones.

"Here they want to focus on being an individual rather an a performing artist and that's important."