An Ipswich DJ who started spinning the decks at school parties when he was just 11 is in the running for a national award.

James Braybrooke, who now works for Unit 17, is one of five contenders for the title of DJ of the Year in an annual contest run by The Deltic Group, the UK’s largest operator of late night bars and clubs.

As winner of the East region heat, James will perform a 25-minute set for clubbers at ATIK in Windsor when it stages the finals on Saturday.

The winner receives the trophy and an all-expenses paid trip for two to the Miami Ultra Music Festival, the biggest event in the music business calendar, plus DJ kit from Pioneer.

After starting out as a schoolboy, James went on to set up his own mobile disco before going into the world of clubs.

One of his claims to fame is warming up for a very young Girls Aloud 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.”

The final will be judged by a panel of industry experts. They will score the DJs on a range of criteria from appearance, stage presence and technical ability to audience engagement.

In the run-up to the event the finalists have been seen in their home clubs by an independent reviewer who will provide the judges with an overview of their performance.