X-FACTOR star Lloyd Daniels has backed a Dorset Echo campaign to have a coastguard supercentre based in the area.

He is one of more than 8,710 people supporting our Save Our Lifesavers initiative.

An unprecedented number of signatures have flooded in since the campaign was launched after the announcement Portland Coastguard station was to close.

Lloyd was performing at Weymouth Carnival on Wednesday (Aug17) when he spoke of the important role the coastguards do in saving lives.

The star of the television talent contest said he saw for himself the valuable work of the coastguards when he was on holiday in Wales.

He said: “I used to stay there on holiday and they used to go out quite a lot saving so many people.

“It’s such a big job they do. They are people to look up to as well. It’s definitely an important job they do.”

Under cost costing measures it is proposed that the coastguard control centre on Weymouth harbourside will close leaving 26 skilled workers having to find new jobs or relocate.

People from all walks of life have rallied round to sign the petitions and coupons calling for the supercentre to be built in the area.

Supporters of the Save Our Lifesavers coastguard campaign are being urged to take to the streets and join in a walk on Saturday, September 3.

We are holding a campaign Walk of Support in which we want as many people as possible to walk through Weymouth town centre with us and join the fight to bring the coastguard supercentre to this area.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council will be supporting the walk.

The borough council is currently drawing up plans that could bring the modernised supercentre to the area.

If successful it could provide up to 70 extra skilled jobs.

Participants for the walk should meet at Weymouth Pavilion at 10.50am for an 11am start, when we will walk to Weymouth harbourside to show our support for the hard-working coastguards outside Portland Coastguard station.

The walk will then follow a route along St Thomas Street and St Mary Street in Weymouth town centre on to Greenhill Gardens, where campaign figureheads will address the walkers.

Walkers will then return to Weymouth Pavilion for a 1pm finish.