LINDISFARNE founder member Ray Jackson is leaving the 1970s Tyneside musical legends who reformed to play Christmas shows

The 66-year-old, known as Jacka, who sang and played harmonica and mandolin on many of the band’s best-known songs, put together a line-up featuring musicians from different eras to play the December gigs at Newcastle City Hall in 2013.

The concerts were such a success, the band repeated them last year, also issuing a CD of songs recorded at the 2013 performances.

A statement on the band’s Facebook page says: "It is with regret that we have to announce Ray Jackson's retirement from Lindisfarne.

“Although his decision has come as a surprise to us, it was always Jacka's intention to hand things over at some point and ensure the great name of Lindisfarne continues to keep the songs and spirit alive well into the future.

“The band intend to honour all diary commitments through 2015 and will be announcing more details very soon."

Mr Jackson, who played the distinctive mandolin intro to Rod Stewart’s hitsingle Maggie Mae, was the only original Lindisfarne member in the new band.

The Wallsend-born musician, who left Lindisfarne in the early 1990s, now lives in Oxfordshire where he is an artist.

After a long break from performing he returned a few years ago with a folk super group called The Gathering and played with musicians from the last Lindisfarne line-up when a plaque was unveiled at the City Hall in memory of the late Alan Hull, the band’s chief songwriter.

Fog on the Tyne was the best-selling album by a British act in 1972.

The band haf hit singles in Meet Me on the Corner and Run for Home and a1990s remake of the song Fog on the Tyne that featured Newcastle United striker Paul Gascoigne .