Westlife To Split 'Amicably' After 14 Years

Boy band Westlife who have been together for 14 years are to split "amicably" after their final tour next Summer, they have announced.

The Irish stars have racked up 26 top ten hits and 14 number ones, but say they are now looking forward to "new ventures".

Fans will have the chance to see them perform for the final time on the already-announced Greatest Hits Tour, which kicks off in May next year.

The foursome - Nicky Byrne, 33, Kian Egan, 31, Mark Feehily, 31, and Shane Filan, 32 - have sold more than 44 million records in their time together.

They were managed for many years by Louis Walsh and survived the departure of one of their founding members Bryan McFadden.

The band's hits include Flying Without Wings and Swear It Again.

In a statement they said: "The decision is entirely amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we want to have a well-earned break and look at new ventures.

"We see the greatest hits collection and the farewell tour as the perfect way to celebrate our incredible career along with our fans. We are really looking forward to getting out on the tour and seeing our fans one last time."

The statement continued: "Over the years Westlife has become so much more to us than just a band. Westlife are a family.

"We would like to thank our fans who have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too.

"We never imagined when we started out in 1998 that 14 years later we would still be recording, touring and having hits together. It has been a dream come true for all of us."