Depeche Mode keyboardist Andy Fletcher dies

Depeche Mode keyboardist Andy Fletcher has died, the band has announced.

The band said they were "shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate".

The statement went on to say that the keyboard player had a "heart of gold" and their "hearts are with his family".

Fletcher, who was 60, was a founding member of the band which found success with their dark electronic sound with hits including Just Can't Get Enough.

Depeche Mode had chart success in the 1980s and 1990s with singles including New Life, Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence.

The group was founded in Basildon in 1980 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years ago.

In a statement posted on social media, the band said: "Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh or a cold pint."

Fletcher's last studio album with the band was 2017's Spirit, their 14th, which reached number five in the UK album chart.

Lol Tolhurst, drummer with rock band The Cure, described the news of Fletcher's death as "very sad".

"I knew Andy and considered him a friend. We crossed many of the same pathways as younger men," he tweeted.

Sister Bliss, from electronic band Faithless, described Fletcher as a "keyboard warrior" and tweeted that he was "gone way too soon".