Five star-struck schoolgirls can’t believe their luck after a chance encounter with chart topping boy band JLS during a free period.

The pop stars, who were runners up on hit TV show The X Factor in 2008, were at a magazine photo shoot in a house in Stoke Newington, when a neighbour spotted them and tweeted the celebrity sighting on his Twitter account.

A sixth form pupil at Stoke Newington School, in Clissold Road, saw the post and tweeted back to find out the exact address in Lordship Road so she and four of her friends could head down there.

“Luckily we had a free period,” said 17-year-old Saskia Howard Danskin. “We got there about 2pm and their manager was outside. He told us to come back at 6pm and said JLS would spend about five minutes with us.”

The A-level students rushed home to collect their JLS posters and merchandise for the boys to autograph and went back to the house to wait for the band to emerge last Thursday (September 15).

“We saw them through the window and all screamed!” Saskia said. “But when they came outside we all went really, really quiet. I think it was because there was just us who were there – it wasn’t like there was a big crowd.

“JLS were really nice and signed everything. They were really down to earth and hugged us all.

“Marvin’s always been my favourite, and he was really nice, but JB made a real effort to speak to each of us.

“We’re all really big fans and even went to watch them on a Christmas special for ITV, but it was amazing to actually meet them in person.”

Saskia, of Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, is studying photography and said she made sure to take her camera with her so she would have proof of her exciting celebrity encounter when she returned to school the next day.

“Quite a few people were very jealous!” she said.

Hackney is fast becoming the place to be for pop royalty – superstar Britney Spears was in the borough on Monday (September 19) filming her latest music video at Stoke Newington Town Hall and in Arcola Street, Dalston.