Liam Payne and Cheryl Tweedy have called it quits on their relationship

Cheryl Tweedy and Liam Payne have split.

The Crazy Stupid Love hitmaker and the One Direction star have called time on their romance after two and a half years together.

Sharing a statement on their separate Twitter accounts, they wrote: "We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together."

Liam has reportedly moved out of the £5 million mansion, which they shared in Surrey but they will share parental duties of their son Bear.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship - they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them. But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.

"He still cares for her and she cares for him. They still have an ongoing relationship together. They have a baby together. Both Cheryl and Liam have successful careers that take a lot of time, which didn’t always make things easy. There were ups and downs for a long time."

The news may come as a surprise to fans as Liam hinted last month that he may propose to Cheryl "in the long-term".

He said: "I don't feel like I need to go to that step to feel any differently about how I do about my relationship. I feel like we're in a really comfortable place right now and, like, having my son means more than anything to me in the world.

"So you know, it's not really like we need to take that next step. We might do it in the long-term, but it's not, like, a big deal."

- Bang! Showbiz