Olly Murs 'fractures hand while boxing'

X Factor star Olly Murs has fractured his hand after hitting a punch bag too hard.

According to The Sun, the incident occurred as he worked out in the gym of the X Factor house in North London last night.

The Essex singer is believed to have hit the punch bag so hard that he gave himself a "boxer's fracture" - an injury usually seen in professional boxers following a fight. Murs was immediately seen by a doctor, who set his hand in a plastercast.

The 25-year-old has now been told to rest his hand as he prepares for this weekend's shows. He was later spotted with the cast as he headed to rehearsals for the programme's Queen night on Saturday.

A source said: "Olly was mucking around with a punch bag when he gave himself the boxer's fracture. He was really going at the punchbag and it has left people wondering why he was hitting it so hard. Could he have been imagining it was somebody?"

Murs has struggled to stay fit after developing a throat infection last week.