The Pogues bass player Darryl Hunt has died at the age of 72, the Celtic folk-punk band announced.

“We are saddened beyond words. Our Darryl passed away yesterday afternoon in London,” The Pogues said on Twitter Tuesday.

The band posted a black and white photo of Hunt holding a guitar case and quoted lyrics to their song Love You ‘Till The End, which was written by Hunt.

“‘I know you want to hear me catch my breath. I love you till the end’.”

The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan paid tribute to “a great friend”.

“I am very very sorry that Darryl has passed on, he was a really nice guy and a great friend and a great bass player,” the singer-songwriter said on Twitter.

“We will all miss him. May he have a happy state of eternal bliss and bless his family and friends love Shane.”

Fellow bandmate Spider Stacy also paid tribute: “This is wretched. See you around the way, Daz.”

Hunt was born in Christchurch, southwest England on May 4, 1950, and studied fine art at Nottingham School of Art.

He first played with pub rock band Plummet Airlines and then formed punk group The Favourites.

Hunt started playing bass for The Pogues in September 1986 after initially working as a roadie for them.

His first credit with the band was on their 1988 album If I Should Fall From Grace With God.

The album featured their massive hit Fairytale of New York with a duet sung by McGowan and Kirsty MacColl, which has become a perennial Christmas favourite in Britain.

Hunt played for the band until their last album, Pogue Mahone, in 1996.