“We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul. There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel. We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have,” the statement said.

S Club 7 had a string of chart hits in Britain between 1999 and 2003 and featured in a television series aimed at children in which the band’s seven members played fictional versions of themselves.

The band had recently announced a 25th anniversary reunion tour, including sellout London concerts scheduled to take place in October.