HIT band The Beautiful South are to reform two years after splitting – and will fittingly return with a gig back in their old haunts.

The band, who shot to fame with their number one single ‘A Little Time’ in

1990 and went on to become one of the country’s favourite bands with hits such as ‘Perfect Ten’ and ‘Don’t Marry Her’, are re-launching as The New Beautiful South.

And a Huddersfield musician will be back in the line-up.

David Stead will be behind the drumkit in March when the band – which played two sell-out concerts at Huddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium – step on stage in front of their adoring public in Hull for an intimate homecoming gig.

Singers David Hemingway and Alison Wheeler along with drummer David Stead have rejoined, although the distinctive tones of original frontman Paul Heaton will be missing as he continues his solo career.

But guitarist Phil Barton has returned together with four original backing musicians and the Hull gig will be a prelude to a full UK tour later in the year.

Stead said: “We never really split up – all that happened was Paul made the decision to leave.

“But Dave, Alison and I wanted to continue. We’ve been twiddling our thumbs for a while, but this is what we do best.

“There are still an awful lot of people out there who want to hear our music and we still want to play it.

“We’re going to be playing all our greatest hits and the old favourites along with a few new songs.”

After 19 hugely successful years and millions of albums sold, the band split in 2007 citing ‘musical similarities’ Heaton, who was lead singer of The Housemartins before they became The Beautiful South, dabbled in a solo career recording under the guise of Biscuit Boy aka Crackerman, but made little impact on the charts.

Guitarist David Rotheray also formed a new band named Homespun but despite critical acclaim, achieved little commercial success. Bassist Sean Welch has also opted not to join the new outfit.

Fan Elaine Ainsworth, 47, said: “I think it’s brilliant news. It’s a bit of a shock because I didn't think they would get back together.”