One Direction’s lawyers are dealing with a video showing two band members smoking what the singers referred to as an “illegal substance”.

British tabloid The Daily Mail posted a five-minute clip on Tuesday of Zayn Malik smoking and speaking with Louis Tomlinson, who is filming.

Their publicist said: “This matter is in the hands of our lawyers.”

In the video, 22-year-old Tomlinson says they are in Peru.

The band, which is on an international tour, stopped in Lima, Peru, last month.

Tomlinson says “joint lit, happy days,” and asks his bandmate, “What do you think Zayn about that kind of content?”

“Very controversial,” the 21-year-old Malik responds.

The pair also spot a police officer on a motorcycle riding alongside their van, but don’t appear to be concerned.

Tomlinson then jokes that Malik’s “warm-up routine” before show contains one “important factor”: “Mary J”, a nickname for weed.

The band will perform on Wednesday in Sunderland, United Kingdom.

-with AAP