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THEY say you should never meet your idols. But for one Coatbridge couple, it was a dream come true.

On Saturday, June 18, Paul and Elizabeth Clinton were on their way to Manchester with friends to see one of their favourite bands, The Stone Roses, in concert at the Etihad.

After stopping off at Warrington train station, they got the shock of their lives when they bumped into frontman Ian Brown.

While Paul and the others were in the station shop, Elizabeth was on her way to the toilet when she heard someone comment on her Stone Roses t-shirt.

"Nice t-shirt", they said. "Where did you get it?"

When she looked up, she was amazed to realise it was Ian Brown, the singer of the very band she was on her way to see.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked over and he was sitting there on the platform with his boy," Elizabeth told the Daily Record.

"It was about four hours before the gig, he was putting his boy on a train."

And when she asked him if she could take a picture, he happily obliged.

"He was great about it. I got a few pics then asked him if I could buzz the guys so they could meet him."

At first, she couldn't get through to her husband so quickly ran to the shop to tell them.

Paul said: "She came running back saying she just met Ian Brown and we thought, 'Aye, very good', until she revealed her phone."

They then rushed back to meet the singer before his son's train arrived.

"I must admit he was great with us all. His son took our photos and he spoke of new material coming, saying he's buzzing."

The couple say they have been dedicated fans of the band "since the beginning" and Saturday's Manchester gig was a new addition to a very long list including the Barrowlands, T In The Park, Gig On The Green, Heaton Park and Glasgow Green.

"The gig was amazing, one of the best gigs we've ever been to," said Elizabeth. "Nothing could top actually meeting him though.

"I never did get to the toilet."