Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes duo have announced that the pair are to split up and will be calling it a day for their act the White Stripes after 13 years of music making together.

In a statement posted on the White Stripes website the pair say that they will “make no further new recordings or perform live” which translated means that the band has officially finished.

The statement continued to say that there were a “myriad of reasons” behind the announcement but it was “mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band.”

In their 13 year career the quirky couple have released six studio albums with live highlights including headlining numerous summer festivals including Glastonbury, in 2005, at the peak of their popularity.

Jack said the split was not “due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health reasons” and that he hoped that the news would not be met with “sorrow” from fans but instead would be considered to be a “positive move”.

The White Stripes had always been an alternative choice for music fans with their strange relationship, black, white and red wardrobe choices and music style.

The last studio offering from the band who had hits with “Seven Nation Army” and “The Hardest Button to Button” was in 2007 and after the prolonged hiatus in releases the split has finally confirmed the end of the White Stripes.

In a final message on the website Meg and Jack say: “The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do what ever you want, The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience, Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.”