IT is a rumour that has caught the attention of Bromsgrove residents, as well as a number of dedicated fans of the heart-throb, but so far remains unanswered.

Speculation that Harry Styles, from the internationally successful group One Direction, was born in Bromsgrove has been circulating among a number of people and discussed on numerous social media websites.

The rumour has been fuelled by references on several websites to the singer being born in the town on February 1, 1994, and his birth being registered at Bromsgrove Registry Office, listed in the Civil Registration Index.

Among those to state his Bromsgrove heritage are the American celebrity website TMZ, biography.com, and an unofficial biography written about the singer.

Many of the group's famously loyal fans, known as the Directioners, have tweeted the Bromsgrove connection - some even boasting they had visited the town to other fans around the world.

But other websites, including Wikipedia, list the 19-year-old as being born in Evesham.

The location of his birthplace has also been further confused by the fact Harry, at a young age, moved with his parents Anne Cox and Des Styles to Holmes Chapel, in Cheshire.

The Bromsgrove Advertiser contacted Modest Management, which represents Harry, for clarification but it has so far failed to respond.

A similar attempt by Bromsgrove Library, which contacted Harry directly through his Twitter account, also proved unsuccessful.

If it is confirmed Harry was Bromsgrove born he will join a list of others with a connection to the town, who went on to gain an international reputation including Mark Williams, JRR Tolkien and AE Housman.

• Harry Styles auditioned for the X Factor in 2010, but after failing to get through the boys category guest judge Nicole Scherzinger put him together with four others - Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson.

Harry is credited with coming up with the name One Direction, and the group went on to finish third in the series.

After the show the boyband became a global phenomenon with a string of number one hits and international awards.

The 19-year-old is one of the most followed celebrities on Twitter worldwide, having more than 18 million followers.

Harry has also made headlines in recent years for dating television presenter Caroline Flack and international popstar Taylor Swift.

Do you know where Harry was born - get in touch below or via facebook.com/thebromsgroveadvertiser.