Mr Filan's property company has entered receivership. (Pic: Fiona Hanson/PA)

Westlife star Shane Filan has been declared bankrupt just days before the hugely successful Irish group play their farewell show.

Last month the singer’s property development company, based in the Republic of Ireland, went into receivership.

He is thought to have suffered losses as a result of the property crash in the country due to the economic problems.

Filan, 32, was declared bankrupt earlier this week at Kingston County Court in Surrey.

The bankruptcy order lasts for a year, but if he had filed in Ireland it would have lasted for upwards of three years.

In a statement, he said it had been a difficult decision to take but he had “exhausted all other options”.

He went on: “Together with a team of financial and legal experts I have spent months exploring all possible alternatives to bankruptcy but to no avail. I have worked long and hard to try to reduce my debts, and I am devastated that it came to this conclusion.

“I now intend to focus on the remaining dates of the Westlife tour and my commitments to the band before looking to rebuild a future for my wife, my three children and myself.”

Westlife, currently on their final tour, have scored 14 number one singles in the UK and more than two dozen top 10 hits.

In 2010, the group were estimated to have amassed a £31 million fortune after shifting more than 44 million copies of their records around the world.

The group will wind up their 14-year career with a show at Croke Park in Dublin on June 23.

Jedward have joined other celebrities for the ISPCC campaign against bullying.

Jedward, X-Factor judge Louis Walsh and Westlife star Mark Feehily have all posed as assault victims in a hard-hitting campaign against bullying.

The pop stars appear bruised and battered in the posters launched by children’s campaigners.

MTV presenter Laura Whitmore and actress Saoirse Ronan have also been photographed as part of the series of images launched in Dublin today by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).

Westlife singer Feehily, who came up with the idea, said he was inspired by his own personal experiences of bullying when he was younger.

“I know at first hand how the impact of being bullied as a teenager can quite literally last a lifetime and I thought that if we could involve well-known ISPCC ambassadors perhaps people will think twice about bullying or indeed allowing bullying to happen,” he said.

All those who took part in the campaign gave their services for free, including the celebrities, photographer Barry McCall, make-up artist Tom McInerney and several advertising agencies.

“Everyone involved believes strongly that the message that emanates from each shot is a simple one,” said Feehily.

“Bullying and abuse, whether verbal, physical or emotional, is unacceptable in today’s society.”

The ISPCC warned bullying can have a devastating impact on the self-esteem, mental health and sense of belonging of children.

Last year Ireland’s Childline service received around 2,300 calls and messages everyday from young people, with almost a quarter of these contacts relating to abuse and welfare, including bullying and issues around mental health.

ISPCC chief executive Ashley Balbirnie said: “We are very grateful to Mark Feehily and our ambassadors for their support in raising awareness of this important issue.”