According to multiple reports, the Story of My Life hitmakers, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, are taking a break from the boy band starting in March (16).

A source confirms to People magazine that they have mutually agreed to take at least a year off, which means they will not tour following the release of their upcoming fifth album later this year (15) - but they are expected to continue promoting the record until February (16).

One Direction are currently on their On The Road Again Tour, which ends on 31 October (15) in Sheffield, England, and will mark their last full concert before the reported hiatus.

The group's decision to temporarily part ways after five years together comes months after Zayn Malik quit the band in March (15), and days after they released the music video for their new single Drag Me Down.