After five weeks of heats and a competitive final, local singer Laura O’Neil walked off with the £500 cash prize as the winner of Mecca Catford’s Mic Night.

Laura won the very first heat on 26th January, after wowing the first Mic Night audience with a stunning performance of Adele’s ‘When we were young’.

In the final however, Laura chose to sing Amy Winehouse’s cover of ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’, originally sang by The Shirelles.

After being announced as the winner in front of a full club, Laura said: “I actually cannot believe I have been voted the winner! I was up against five amazing acts, so it was a bit of a shock to find out that I had won!

“I have never been a confident performer and I hope the experience of performing in front of people will help me believe in myself and be confident in my own ability.

“I must thank Kim and everyone at Mecca Catford for this experience – it has been a fantastic six weeks and to win the cash prize is beyond my wildest dreams.”

Laura is planning to put the money towards a holiday with her two children, aged 15 and 11, as neither have ever been on a plane or abroad before.

Kim Jones, manager at Mecca Catford, said: “What a fantastic competition – we have seen local acts showcase their talents for the last six weeks and the final was just brilliant; a big well done to the six acts who made it to the final.

“Our members have really enjoyed the competition and we hope that Laura and the other finalists will have a new found confidence in their ability to entertain.

“Laura is such a lovely girl; we’re delighted for her and also for her two children who will have a holiday of a lifetime thanks to their talented mum.”

The Mecca Bingo team at Catford will be welcoming local businesses to the club’s craft market this Saturday, from 11am to 4pm.