His wife Victoria Mary Clarke said: “Shane will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams”

The death has been announced of Pogues frontman and songwriter Shane MacGowan. He was 65 and had been ill for some time.

In a statement shared on social media, The Pogues wrote: “It is with the deepest of sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Shane MacGowan.

“Shane died peacefully at 3am this morning with his wife Victoria and family by his side.”

MacGowan had been receiving treatment at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin for several months. He was discharged on 22 November and returned home to spend time with his friends and family.

In the 1980s, he led the Irish punk band who are best known for their hit festive song Fairytale Of New York which was released in 1987.

In a post on Instagram, MacGowan’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke wrote: “There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world.