SCOUTING for Girls have been secretly filming their new music video in Marlborough today and performed at the Christmas light switch-on tonight.

The surprise visit had been kept under wraps over fears too many people might flood to the town to catch a glimpse of the famous trio, if it was revealed beforehand.

But it has been hard not to miss band members Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard being filmed with their camera crew in the High Street, outside Sound Knowledge and in Azuza.

They also uploaded a video on their Twitter in the town and many people have been tweeting about spotting them, as well as taking to Facebook to spread the news.

The town has been chosen as the backdrop for the band’s festive single Christmas in the Air (Tonight), after they got talking to Mayor Margaret Rose last month at their album signing in Sound Knowledge.

And the group, whose hits include She’s so Lovely, hope it is going to bag them their first Christmas number one.

“It is one of the prettiest towns there is,” frontman Roy Stride, who lives in Horsham, told the Gazette.

“We have been to Sound Knowledge about five times and we have played there more than anyone else, it almost feels like it is home.

“The stars just aligned. We were playing down the road [in Oxford], the lights were being switched on today and we felt like we just had to do it – it was fate.”

The video, out next month, will see the band busking in Marlborough, wandering through the Christmas market before getting on stage to perform their song in front of the crowds waiting to see the lights being turned on.

Members of the public have also been enlisted to appear as extras in the background.

“I feel like it is one of the most personal songs we have done because it is actually about something that happened to the three of us,” Roy added.

“We grew up in a town called Ruislip and this song is about a night that happened to us about 20 years ago. Marlborough is a lot prettier than Ruislip as well.”

Roy, who wrote the song, says his favourite lyric is about The Swan which is the pub they used to go to when they were younger.

“It is now Café Rouge, but if we have a Christmas number one what I am going to do is buy The Swan and turn it back into a pub,” he joked.

“It would be amazing to get Christmas number one. It is the holy trinity of song writing goals."

He added: “My favourite thing about Christmas now is how excited my kids get. They are five and six and they absolutely love it.

“Before I was in a band, the three of us worked in shops and Christmas is not much fun if you are working in a shop. It is really stressful and miserable at times and also you work up right till the last minute on Christmas Eve and all you want to do is sleep on Christmas Day.

“So, since we have got in a band, Christmas is now time when you have a holiday and since I have a young family they love it.”

The band also said how Marlborough always has the longest queue of fans waiting to see them and praised Sound Knowledge for being a successful independent record shop.

Speaking before the light switch-on Coun Rose said: “I’m delighted that Scouting for Girls will be joining us on stage and giving us a preview of their Christmas single.

“It is a fantastic surprise for Marlborough and adds to what is bound to be an amazing night for everyone.

“It is great for our town and perhaps we’ll even help them to climb to that No.1 spot.”