Bloc Party bassist Gordon Moakes is to take a break from the band over the summer in order to prepare for the imminent arrival of his first child.

Moakes had been due to perform with the band on their summer festival schedule, which includes the Reading and Leeds festivals.

But in a statement he said that “after some long hard thinking” it would be “silly for me to be flying round the world at such a critical time in the pregnancy.”

"No one wants me to wind up in the wrong continent should there be any complications or should the little one decide to put in an early appearance,” he said.

Moakes concluded by joking that while the band are jetting around the world he “will be buying the groceries, attending ante-natal classes and generally preparing myself for the cloud of unknown that is becoming a Dad."

Daniel Lindegren aka Tommy Sparks will take over Moakes' role on bass while he is away.