A Chorley man is marching to the beat of a different drum after swapping a career in insurance to become a professional musician.

Neil Aspinall, 40, is hoping to swap actuarial charts for the pop charts by becoming a full-time drummer in a multitude of bands.

Neil, of Queensgate, Chorley, was made redundant earlier this year from Norwich Union where he had worked for 20 years and decided to take the opportunity to further his musical career by hitting the skins as a professional.

Folk rock band Silver Dogs is his most recent endeavour. They have recently been signed by record label Pendle Hawk and are going into the studio in October to record material.

The six-member band have been creating quite a stir around the area, including festival appearances such as the Great Eccleston Folk Festival.

His other bands include two Pink Floyd tributes, namely Pulse and an Australian act called Beyond the Dark Side, who have light and sound equipment worth £2.5million.

Neil, who has a wife Julia and daughters Natalie and Lucy, cites Rush drummer Neil Peart as his idol.

He is also the sticks man in the UK's only Billy Joel tribute, Storm Front, who have appeared at the Garrick Theatre and the Octagon in Bolton.

He said: "Working in insurance claims isn't the most exciting job and when I was made redundant I decided to look at it as an opportunity rather than a disappointment.

"You could call it a bit of a mid-life crisis, but I have been involved in groups and music for many years and thought that it would be worthwhile to go for it as a professional.

"I'm particularly excited about the Silver Dogs because we have managed to recruit vocalist Fiona Ford, who was voted the twelfth best vocalist by the Classic Rock Society."