Robbie Williams has ended his strike with record label EMI and hopes to release a new album next year, his manager has revealed.

Williams went on 'album strike' in January over his displeasure at the label's take over by private equity company Terra Firma.

But Williams' manager, Tim Clark, has said the singer is now back in the studio working on a follow-up to 2006's 'Rudebox'.

"I would certainly hope that a new album will be coming next year. There are never any guarantees but that's what we would hope."

Clark said that he had been with Williams last week and heard some of the new material.

"He's been writing and we heard some wonderful stuff,” he told BBC Newsbeat. “I was with Robbie last week. He was at home and he was writing songs and he played some of them to us."

Clark also played down press speculation claiming that Williams planned to release an album about aliens.

(by Jason Gregory)