UK rock legends URIAH HEEP have announced that "due to ongoing health problems, longstanding drummer Lee Kerslake is to leave the band with immediate effect."

A posting at their website adds: "During 2006, when Uriah Heep toured in some twenty territories ranging from Indonesia, India and Thailand through to Brazil, Peru, Russia and Bulgaria, concluding with a six week Acoustic Tour through Europe, Lee found the rigors of constant touring increasingly stressful and will now take the opportunity over the next few months to embark on a stringent campaign in order to resolve his health issues."

Comments Heep lead guitarist and founder member Mick Box ‘All the band are fully behind Lee in his efforts to become fully match fit again. For me, it is particularly devastating to lose not only someone who I have worked with for some thirty five years, but also one of my closest and oldest friends who I love like a brother. It is, however, in the best interests of both Lee and the band that a change is made now.

This is an important time in the history of the band - We have just signed a new worldwide recording contract with Sanctuary Records and are about to commence recording our first new studio album in almost a decade and it is vital that there is consistency between both the recording and the forthcoming eighteen month long world tour to coincide with the album’s release in September’.

The band will now start actively auditioning potential drummers and we will keep you informed as events unfold."