THE Darkness lead singer Justin Hawkins is to have surgery on his throat within the next week.The flamboyant frontman's mother Sandy Hawkins said last night her son needed a stitch to correct an acid reflux condition that causes stomach acid to wash back up his oesophagus burning the singer's throat.

THE Darkness lead singer Justin Hawkins is to have surgery on his throat within the next week.

The flamboyant frontman's mother Sandy Hawkins said last night her son needed a stitch to correct an acid reflux condition that causes stomach acid to wash back up his oesophagus burning the singer's throat.

Speaking from her Lowestoft home, Mrs Hawkins said: "He's had the problem for quite some time now.

"Last year, a couple of gigs went wrong with the problem and he was told that eventually something would have to be done.

"While he's been in the States, the same thing happened again, but he's back in England now doing a few promotions.

"I think the operation is imminent - he told me it was before the end of April somewhere in England."

"It's not too much to worry about. Once he's had the stitch done, he'll be perfecto," she added.

Former Kirkley High School pupil Justin, 29, told a Los Angeles radio station: "Some people are a bit worried, but they're going to insist on the smallest tube possible for the keyhole surgery.

"They don't anticipate that it'll be any permanent damage but it will take a while to get it back to normal."

The band, including Justin's brother Dan, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham are currently touring the United States.

Hawkins told radio station KROQ he will have the surgery in a break before their US tour resumes on May 31.

The Darkness are due to return to the UK in August to headline the Reading and Leeds festivals after playing a string of European festival dates in the summer.