Heaton, who also composed songs for the group, died on Thursday, EMI said.

He co-wrote many of New Model Army's hits such as Poison St and Here Comes the War, but left the band in 1998 after surgery to remove a brain tumour.

He went on to promote live music and had also been writing film scores for independent movies. He leaves a wife, Robyn, and a young son, Marlon.