One Direction thanked fans for their ''incredible'' support on the final night of their residency at The O2 in London on Wednesday night (30.09.15).

The 'Story of My Life' hitmakers took to the stage for the sixth time in just seven days to perform at the venue for the last time before they go on hiatus following their 'On The Road Again' tour and took a moment to thank their fans.

Harry Styles said: ''We know more than anybody that we don't exist if it isn't for every single one of you buying tickets. Thank you for all your support whether it started a week ago or five years ago.

''Every single one of you, we're not here without you so thank you so much for having us. You've been absolutely incredible.''

Harry and his bandmates - Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson - broke the record for the most gigs played at the arena as they took to the stage for the 23rd time in their five-year career.

Liam said to Louis: ''I can't believe that thanks to these guys, we got to break that record.''

And the 22-year-old star added that it was a particularly special night for them.

He shared: ''As you know, this is a very important gig for us. This is our last time at The O2 for a little bit and it means the world to have a crowd this loud.''

The boys will now complete the UK leg of their tour with concerts in cities including Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin.

Meanwhile, it was recently claimed the band's extended hiatus could cost them their title as the most popular pop band in the world.

According to StubHub, which surveyed 2,000 Brits, 33 per cent claimed they were fans of Fleetwood Mac, whereas just 10 per cent liked One Direction.

Nick Harford, Interim General Manager at StubHub International said: ''It's great to see that as well as producing some of the biggest musicians in the world, the UK also has some of the most passionate and loyal music fans.

''It's also interesting to see that long-time rockers Fleetwood Mac are still topping the fandom bill, over the more recent chart toppers One Direction.''