Peter Gabriel has insisted he will not be part of the recently announced Genesis reunion.

The singer was one of the band's founding members and a lead member until 1975 when he went solo. However, he has now confirmed that he refused to take part in the reunion tour announced earlier this week.

"There were conversations and I decided not to be a part of it," he told BBC News. "I'm very happy for them. It's not that I've ruled it out, but I've got some new material that I'll be working on."

Phil Collins, who took over from Gabriel as frontman, meanwhile, has confirmed he is joining the project and a spokesman said more detailed plans for the tour would be announced in coming weeks.

The band's last album was recorded in 1997 with Ray Wilson, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks after Collins quit in 1996.