Bay City Rollers announce reunion

Still sporting tartan - Stuart Wood, Les McKeown and Alan Longmuir toast their return

Former 70s boy band Bay City Rollers have announced a reunion, nearly 30 years after splitting up.

During their heyday, the Scottish group sold 120 million records and had a huge teenage fanbase.

Famed for their tartan outfits, the band had several line-ups over the years.

The reunion features three of the "classic five" - Les McKeown, Alan Longmuir and Stuart Wood - who had hits such as Bye Bye Baby and Shang-a-Lang.

They also performed several sell-out tours and hosted their own TV show.

Wood, McKeown and Longmuir have promised "a very special Christmas present to all the fans that have kept the faith with the band over the years".

This is what the band looked like in 1975

It is believed that will include a new album and a comeback show at the Barrowlands in Glasgow in December.

Announcing the reunion at a press conference in Glasgow, singer Les McKeown joked: "You think we're doing it for money but we're doing it for the glory of Scotland and the glory of the tartan.

"Taking the Scottish name all around the globe. That's what we're doing it for - to see our fans again one more time."

The band formed at the end of the 60s and its first incarnation was two Edinburgh brothers, Alan and Derek Longmuir, who formed a band with their school mates.

They conquered the UK, US, Australia and Japan but music journalist Caroline Sullivan told the BBC that by late 1977 their popularity had waned.

"There is obviously a sell-by date for all boy bands and the Rollers were reaching theirs," she said.

"They had a really good run. The fans were growing up and The Rollers themselves were obviously completely fed up with it."

The band finally imploded when McKeown left in 1978 and bitter battles over the money they should have been paid dragged on for years.