It is an accolade that has been bestowed on the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.

Becoming a Guitar Hero is not normally something that comes the way of teenagers from Hove.

But 14-year-old Jed Cutler has been honoured with the title after his twiddling fingers and head-banging hair saw off all his rivals in a wacky mock guitar-playing contest that lasted well past his bedtime.

The pupil from Blatchington Mill School in Nevill Avenue, Hove, triumphed at 2am on Sunday in one of Brighton and Hove's quirkiest competitions.

A crowd of almost 300 gathered at the Duke Of York Picture House cinema in Preston Circus to watch 20 wannabe rock stars go head-to-head on the computer game Guitar Hero.

In a contest hosted by Top Of The Pops presenter Rufus Hound each player was given an "axe", the fake guitar used to control the game, and had to strum along to tracks displayed on the cinema screen behind them, pressing coloured fret buttons at the right times.

An X Factor style panel of judges including guitarist Mark Norris from Brighton band Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster gave out points for accuracy and style.

After each round they picked who should stay and who should go.

Jed, one of the youngest in the competition, wowed them and the audience as he progressed to the final and won with renditions of Misirlou by Dick Dale And His Del-Tones, The Light That Blinds by Shadows Fall and Madhouse by Anthrax.

Organiser Tora Colwill said: "He really stood out. He knew his tracks and he put on a real show for the crowd."

Jed was the last man standing when the competitors had been whittled down and walked away with the first prize, a £700 surround-sound system.

His father Tom Cutler, from Nevill Gardens, Hove, was cheering him on from the auditorium.

He said: "I'm getting a bit old now, I had to grit my teeth to sit through some of the music but Jed was great. He really did melt their faces."

Keen musician Jed, who plays the guitar for real, said he had a great time.

He said: "It was wicked. I had some butterflies before I went on but I loved it up there. I had practiced quite hard but it was really worth it."

Jed said he had prepared a few special moves which he performed to the delight of the crowd.

He said: "It was great to be up there on the stage and see my performance projected onto the screen in front of those screaming fans."

Are you or a loved one an expert on Guitar Hero? Tell us your favourite song to jam along to below.