SINGER Paul Young is coming to Weymouth to sing farewell to the tea rooms named in honour of his band.

The soulman turned Tex-Mex star will make a special visit to see cake-making fan Sandy Hawkins, who runs the Cactus Tea Rooms at the end of the Pleasure Pier.

Sandy's business has to close to make way for the Pavilion development and Paul has promised to play a gig with his band Los Pacaminos.

And he has vowed to visit the tea rooms one last time to sample the special delicacy that bears his name - Paul's plumptious bread pudding'.

Sandy, whose premises are adorned with photos of her favourite singer, is busy selling tickets for the big night.

She said: "It started in the 1980s when I was a fan of Paul and carried on when he started Los Pacaminos.

"I started to take a bit of home-made cake with me to the shows and give them to the band.

"The first thing Paul said when he heard I was closing was does that mean we won't get cake anymore?' "Then they said they would come down and do a gig for me.

"I was chuffed as nuts."

Paul Young shot to fame in 1983 with the song Wherever I Lay My Hat but away from the charts he harboured a love of Mexican music and food.

At that time Sandy was a fan living in Weymouth with her husband Peter Hawkins, who had played for Weymouth FC.

She started the Cactus Tea Rooms 11 years ago at the pier and looked to Paul's new band for a name.

He had formed the seven-piece Los Pacaminos with six other top musicians who shared a love of Mexican and Texan sounds.

Sandy, 55, said: "I originally wanted to call the tea rooms Los Pacaminos but Paul was thinking of opening a Mexican restaurant so chose the cactus instead. It's the symbol of Mexico and the band wear it on their shirts.

"All the cakes are named after members of the band. We have things like Paul's plumptious bread pudding and Drew's Dorset apple cake."

Despite its success the tea rooms will have to close when the Pavilion is redeveloped.

"It's very sad," Sandy said.

"I'm on a six month lease with the council so it will probably be October when we close.

"I don't want to go and there is no compensation.

"But we have to face it and I'm looking around for another place in Weymouth to re-open.

Los Pacaminos will perform Ry Cooder and Los Lobos inspired tunes at Southill Snooker Club on July 5 from 8pm.

Tickets cost £12.50. To buy one call 07799 778325.