Twitter bid to get X Factor star Aiden Grimshaw to Norfolk

A Twitter petition started by a Swaffham teenager has proved a hit, attracting more than a thousand signatures in just four days.

Ruby Kerridge began the 'twitition' at the beginning of the month in an attempt to persuade X Factor singer Aiden Grimshaw to perform a gig in Norfolk.

The 13-year-old tweeted the petition and encouraged friends at Hamond's High School, in Swaffham, to add their names.

Ruby, who lives in North Pickenham, never dreamed the petition would be so successful and even managed to get the popstar's mother to sign.

'It is unusual to get more than 500 signs in two days and 20 hours, but it just proves how many loyal fans he has,' she said. 'I'm going to send it to his agent as soon as possible.'

Nearly 80,000 twititions have sprung up since Twitter was launched in 2006 and nearly 3m signatures have been collected.

A petition calling for Stephen Fry to be given a knighthood was started last year and has about 100 signatures so far.

Many of the twititions are started by young people trying to meet their idols, but topics vary from a campaign to abolish the American military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on homosexuality to 'keep pie alive'.

The second largest twitition in history, with more than 13,000 signatures, was one started by a group of friends in Italy hoping to meet American teen singer Justin Bieber.

Ruby's twitition currently has just over 1,100 signatures.