Original UB40 front man Astro has split from the band’s current line-up.

In a statement issued today, the singer said “the band has been like a rudderless ship with no clear direction” after the departure of Ali Campbell and keyboardist Mickey Virtue in 2008.

Campbell and Virtue left after 30 years, reportedly due to management and business disputes. In 2011, the Birmingham band, who notched up more than 50 chart hits in Britain, were declared bankrupt after the collapse of ...