Take That have sold one million tickets for their latest tour in less than 24 hours.

Tickets agencies struggled to cope with fans reporting websites crashing and phone lines being constantly engaged under the weight of the massive demand.

New dates were also added to the tour which will be the first time all five members of the band – Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald – have performed together since 1995.

A statement issued by the band said: “We are speechless, truly and utterly shocked. This is the most amazing news for all of us. To sell one million tickets in a day is mind blowing and we think we’ll be in shock for a few days! We want to thank everyone who has bought tickets today and look forward to seeing them next year.”

Tickets went on sale at 9 a.m. yesterday morning and by 2 p.m. new dates had been added to the tour in Sunderland, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and London.

Fans queued overnight outside many of the venues to get their hands on tickets.

Tanya Kayne, 28, began her vigil outside the ground on Tuesday. Dressed in a hoody and Take That T-shirt, and speaking from the door of her blue two-man tent, she said: “I can’t believe Robbie’s back. It’s going to be great seeing them all together again.”

A spokesman for Ticketmaster said “totally unprecedented demand” had left them struggling to cope.