Colin Gibb, a founding member of the novelty pop group Black Lace, has died aged 70.

The band were best known for their hits Agadoo, Superman and Do The Conga, which were staple songs at summer discos across the UK throughout the mid-1980s.

They also performed in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in seventh place.

Gibb’s wife Sue Kelly announced his death on Facebook, writing: “It is with heartbreaking news that I am letting you all know my dearest husband Colin Gibb died this afternoon.

“I love you Colin, spent 22 years living your Agadoo dream, we were due to retire to Spain on Thursday, you were so happy, so looking forward to our new life, now you’re gone.

“As we used to say, always love you forever.”

Gibb had announced his retirement from the group last month and had planned to move to Spain with his wife.

A tribute on the official Black Lace Facebook fan page said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our great friend Colin Gibb.

“Colin was one of the founder members of Black Lace, together with Alan Barton, and will be truly missed by everyone who knew him.

“We’d like to send his family and friends all our love and support at this extremely difficult time.”

Former Black Lace singer Dene Michael wrote on X: “So sad to announce the passing of my singing partner in Black Lace Colin Gibb rest in peace my friend God bless you x”

Gibb joined Black Lace in 1976 and went on to tour the world with them.

Their biggest hit came in 1984 with Agadoo – a song about pushing pineapples, shaking trees, grinding coffee and dancing the night away – performed by Gibb and bandmate Alan Barton, who died in 1995.

The song sold more than a million copies worldwide and reached number two in the UK charts.

When being presented with an award for their success, presenter Richard Whiteley reportedly forgot Gibb’s name – calling him Mr Agadoo in honour of the hit track.

Thirteen years later, the band raised more than £25,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care on a day dubbed “Agadoo Day,” which saw them play 20 shows in 24 hours around the UK.

The catchy hit was famously parodied in the 1986 number one chart single The Chicken Song, written for the political puppet show Spitting Image.

Gibb’s final performance was at a beach hotel in Tenerife in May.

The UK had its warmest May and spring since records dating back to 1884 began, provisional Met Office figures show.

While it was a wet and dull season for many, the Met Office said May’s average mean temperature of 13.1C for the UK beat 2008’s previous record figure of 12.1C.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “While it may not have felt like it for many, with sunshine in relatively short supply, provisional figures show May was the warmest on record in our series back to 1884.

“This warmth was especially influenced by high overnight temperatures, with the average UK minimum temperature for May 1.2C higher than the previous record.

“Rainfall was above average for the UK, while some areas in the south saw over a third more rain than average. In contrast, Northern Ireland and Scotland were slightly drier than average in the month.”

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The UK had its wettest spring since 1986 and the sixth wettest on record, the Met Office added. It saw 301.7mm of rain, nearly a third (32%) more than average. Met Office rain data begins in 1836.

England and Wales were generally wetter than average, while Northern Ireland and Scotland saw less in the way of rain.

The Met Office said March started the spring season with a mild and wet month, followed by a wet April with temperatures overall slightly above average.

The fact that the spring was so warm may surprise some, coming just a month or so after commentators were remarking on how cold it had been feeling.

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The average mean temperature for the UK for the season was given a provisional figure of 9.37C, topping 9.12C set in 2017.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Higher than average temperatures in March and May, either side of a slightly warmer than average April, means that spring 2024 is the warmest on record according to mean temperature.

“Despite the warmth, sunshine hours during the season were well below average, though not troubling any national records.

“High overnight temperatures through the season have helped to push the mean temperature figure for the season beyond the previous record, while it has also been a wet spring for many.”

A man has appeared in court charged with kidnapping and murdering a 17-year-old Suffolk girl in 1999.

Victoria Hall’s body was found in a ditch five days after she went missing as she headed home from a Felixstowe nightclub on 19 September that year.

Ms Hall, from Trimley St Mary in Suffolk, was last seen alive when she split from her friend around 2.20am, about an hour after the pair had left Bandbox nightclub.

Her parents, Lorinda and Graham Hall, woke up in the morning to find their daughter had not returned home and a missing persons inquiry began.

On 24 September, her body was discovered in Creeting St Peter, around 25 miles from where she was last seen.

Steve Wright is accused of killing the teenager and appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Monday via a video-link from custody.

The 66-year-old, formerly of London Road, Ipswich, has also been charged with the attempted kidnap of a woman the previous day.

Wright rested his arms on a table and stated his name to the court as Steve Gerald James Wright.

He also gave his date of birth during the hearing which lasted less than five minutes, and confirmed he could hear the proceedings and that he was not recording them.

The court was told Wright is accused of Ms Hall’s kidnap in Felixstowe on 19 September 1999 and her murder in Stowupland on the same date.

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He is also accused of the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty in Felixstowe on 18 September, according to the charges read out in court.

A 22-year-old woman reported a man had approached and followed her between 3am and 4am on 18 September 1999 in High Road East, Felixstowe, Suffolk Police said.

Wright was not asked to enter pleas to the three charges.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court for a preliminary hearing later on Monday.