UB40 with Ali Campbell have been announced as a headliner to next year's Hitchin Priory Summer Series.

The much-loved reggae and pop group will be taking to the stage on Sunday, August 31, with pre-sale tickets available from Thursday (October 31), followed by general sale on Friday (November 1).

UB40 will also be joined by special guests Bitty McLean, Pato Banton, and Trojan Sound System

The band achieved huge success in the 1980s and 1990s, with two UK number one albums and four chart-topping singles, including their most popular hit, a cover of Neil Diamond's Red Red Wine.

"I think I’ve got the best reggae band in the world, and you can quote me on that," said Ali Campbell.

"They are all seasoned musicians, who have spent all their lives in professional bands, and I feel so confident with them. We can play in the UK, Africa or an island like Fiji, and people will be buzzing afterwards.

"The past few years have been tough for a lot of people. There’s a lot of darkness in the world. I’ve lost close friends long before their time. But life goes on, and this group seems to leave a good vibe wherever we play."

In 2008, lead singer Ali Campbell announced he would be leaving the band over what he later described as "management and business disputes".

UB40's original members stayed together, and a High Court battle over the band's name ensued, forcing Campbell's splinter group to go by the name "UB40 with Ali Campbell".