BOYBAND JLS is splitting after five years at the top of the music business.

The band – Aston Merrygold, 25, Marvin Humes, 28, Jonathan "JB" Gill and Oritse Williams, both 26 – shot to fame in 2008, finishing second to Alexandra Burke on TV talent show The X Factor.

Now, after five number one hits and with two Brit awards under their belts, they are going their separate ways.

The quartet will bow out with a farewell tour planned for December, a final single and a greatest hits album.

In a message on their website they told fans: "We have decided to bring our time as a band to an end. It has been the most incredible journey over the last six years and we have achieved more things than we could have ever dreamed possible.

"Thanks to all of you guys you have changed our lives forever and we wouldn't be where we are today without you."