HE'S a member of the hottest boyband in the world. Young, handsome and loaded, it’s no wonder One Direction’s Niall Horan gets mobbed by screaming girls wherever he goes.

But rather than making the most of his fame, like bandmate Harry Styles, Niall’s dad Bobby has revealed the constant attention from girls actually scares him.

Bobby said: “There are hordes of young girls around him and not much room to breathe anywhere. He says it can be frightening.

“Coming out of airports and girls crowding around their cars, he’s started to get really claustrophobic.”

But while Niall, 18, was spotted last week splashing about in a pool full of bikini-clad girls in Marbella, and has been linked to US teen star Demi ­Lovato, Bobby, 51, says his boy is happy to leave the ladies’ man routine to Harry.

He said: “Harry’s very good with all ages – from toddlers to older ladies.

“He knows how to win the girls over and charm them. But he’s a real gent, a lovely, well-mannered, well-brought-up lad. ”

Niall, from Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland, was only five when Bobby and wife Maura split in 1999 after 15 years.

Initially, he and his brother Greg, who is six years older, went to live with ­their mum but both boys later ­returned to live with Bobby.

He was delighted to ­welcome them back after being apart from them for a year.

Bobby said: “They came home one night and that was it – they told me they’d decided to stay and weren’t going back.

“They didn’t go too deeply into it but they wanted to be here with me. Maybe he was just happier with me, three boys together.

“I was very lonely for that year without them so of course I was really happy to have them back. I had a family around me again.”

And, according to Bobby, who works on the butchers’ counter at his local Tesco, Niall is not only extremely domesticated, he’s in touch with his feminine side.

He said: “Niall has a very soft side to him. His mother taught him to bake – he can do great cupcakes.

“He had to look after himself a lot because I was working so, from the age of seven, he had to do his own washing, his own ironing and often his own cooking.

“To my mind, all kids should be able to do what he can.

“When he was at school, I tried to get home for 4.30pm but I started early in the mornings so Niall had to get himself up and walk the mile-and-a-half to school.

“So he’s well-adapted for where he is now – independent and away from home.

“He’ll make some girl a wonderful husband.”

Although it was an all-male household, their mum was still very much part of the boys’ lives.

Bobby said: “They lived with me but their mother was very involved and we made decisions together. Niall always had two birthday parties – one here and one at his mum’s and, whenever she wanted to see them, she would come over.

“We still get on very well. Maura has married again – she lives in the next county – and she’s extremely proud of Niall.”

According to Bobby, Niall was always a pin-up in the making.

The proud dad said: “He always dressed himself well and had a nice style about him. He never left the house without making sure he looked good.”

Niall was only 16 when he left Mullingar to audition for X Factor as a solo contestant before he was persuaded to join One Direction.

Bobby said: “Niall hasn’t lived at home since the day he left for that audition.

“And, despite his international celebrity status, he still has his own bedroom – although it is at the bottom of the garden.

“I converted the garage for him because his guitar playing was making such a noise and we’re so close to the house next door.

“His room is the biggest in the house. Two walls are red and two are sky blue.

“He’s got some signed posters from football players – Danny Simpson from Newcastle United and Jamie Ward from Derby County because we’re Derby supporters.

“He’s got a double bed – can’t have him falling out of it – and his sheets and duvet are all black and white Derby colours.”

One Direction are now in ­demand on both sides of the Atlantic but Niall loves nothing more than coming back to ­Mullingar when his schedule allows it.

Bobby said: “When he comes home, he wants to be just Niall and leave ‘Niall from One Direction’ behind.

“I know it’s pretty hard for him to get away but here everyone’s very proud of him and no one bothers him.

“He’s through the door and straight to his room and, when we do talk, he does it while he’s strumming his guitar and you have to talk to him over the chords.

“It’s very funny but that’s the way he is.

“He’s not a big drinker but we often go for a pint when he’s home. He’s got very good friends here. He even flew one of them, Sean Cullen, out to ­America – they grew up together.”

And with the Irish economy still in crisis, Bobby knows how lucky Niall is.

He said: “Obviously he didn’t get any school qualifications because of X Factor but he’s a very intelligent boy.

“He loved doing music at school – he couldn’t wait for the Christmas concert every year.

“We’re living in very hard times here in Ireland.

“There are people leaving this town in their droves for Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US because there are no jobs here.

“These people have to go, there’s no choice for them, whereas Niall has his choice, doing what he loves.

“Niall’s friends have no hope when they finish. It’s very likely they’ll end up on the dole.

“He’s now in a completely different league to the people from here.

“We’re very conscious of how lucky he is to be in this position.”

“He always wanted to be in the music business but things could have gone the other way. In his audition he was very close to going out.

“He’s had the lucky break that a lot of very talented people out there deserve but never get.”

But Bobby, who has been dating his partner Aoife for two years, isn’t interested in his famous son’s money.

He added: “I don’t know whether it’s true that he has made £2million already but, if it is, it’s all his.

“I want absolutely nothing from him. I’m happy with what I’ve got.

“There’s no way he’d offer me a car because I can’t drive. He might offer me a push bike – that would be nice – but I would never take a penny of his money.

“Niall knows I love my work and wouldn’t want to stop so he’s not going to force money on to me.

“I love working at Tesco. I’m up at five and I’m at work by six. I meet people all day long and I love it.

“I hope he invests his money very wisely and doesn’t do anything airy-fairy with it.

“Niall and I have a laugh about things like Maseratis, Aston Martins and expensive watches and all the other things celebrities and pop stars choose to do with their money.

“It won’t be the way he goes, I can assure you.

“He hasn’t even got his driving licence – he’s had no time to have lessons.”

And Bobby is clear that Niall didn’t inherit any musical talent from him.

He said: “I’m not musically minded at all, the only music I like is The Eagles. Other than that, I listen to Niall.

“But he takes after me in other ways. He’s got my eyes.

“A girl came up to me the other day and said ‘You have Niall’s eyes’ but I had to tell her it was the other way round.”

Bobby is sure that his famous son will keep his feet on the ground.

He added: “He works very hard with One Direction but he loves it.

“Niall absolutely loves life, doesn’t take things too seriously and doesn’t get hung up about anything.”