AN original member of 80s rock group Big Country is locked in a legal dispute with the band's publisher and manager over royalties.

Clive Parker-Sharp, who founded the band in 1981 with the late Stuart Adamson, has launched court proceedings against EMI Music and manager Ian Grant, claiming he has never been paid for some material he helped to write in the band's early days.

The 52-year-old, who is now an author, claims he and the band spent 1982-83 writing and rehearsing what would become the multimillion-selling album The Crossing.

Mr Parker-Sharp said: "I tried everything to resolve this amicably myself and using the Musicians Union but I've had no luck and have regrettably been forced into this position."

His lawyer Nick King added: "We are currently in the process of asserting claims in respect of 11 Big Country songs that Clive has never been credited with co-writing."

Mr Grant said the band was happy to deal with the dispute "cordially".