Paddy Bowden has died in a "tragic accident"

Bruce said in a statement: "This is a terrible tragedy which appears to be a tragic accident. Our children Austin, Griffin and Kia and I are devastated.

"Out of respect for Paddy we won’t be making any further comment at this hugely difficult and painful time for our family."

Bruce - who now lives with girlfriend Liana Dolci in Paris, France - got married to Paddy in the 1990s after being together for two years, with the couple splitting after almost three decades of marriage.

London Ambulance Service confirmed they attended the scene.

A spokesperson said: “We were called at 9.42am today to reports of a person unwell in Chiswick. We sent two ambulance crews to the scene - the first one arriving within two minutes. Sadly, the patient had already died."

Bruce was diagnosed with tongue cancer following a routine check-up in December 2014 but in May 2015, the band confirmed he had the all clear after weeks of chemotherapy.

They said in a statement: "We are very happy to announce that following his recent MRI scan, Bruce was today (18.05.15) officially given the all-clear by his specialists."

And the 61-year-old star posted a message thanking his fans, family and his medical team for their support in helping him reach this "amazing outcome".

He wrote: "I'm a believer in trying to maintain a positive attitude and the encouragement from the global Maiden family meant a great deal to me. Right now, I'm feeling extremely motivated and can't wait to get back to business as usual, as soon as I can!"

Paddy is survived by her children Austin, 29, Griffin, 27, and Kia, 28.