Fighting their corner: Primal Scream

The writ issued by Suede's solicitors says the band found out in March that the tax office had been investigating their accounts for two years.

It reads: "It became apparent that various payments purportedly in respect of their tax liabilities had not in fact been paid to the Inland Revenue by Dixon."

The band, whose top 10 hits include Animal Nitrate, Trash and Beautiful Ones, say the sum of money they cannot account for runs in to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Probe

Solicitors acting for Primal Scream want a thorough probe of the group's accounts, with particular reference to the transfer of three sums of money totalling �64,000.

Their writ states: "The band do not know what has become of the funds. No explanation has been provided."

The lawyers wrote to representatives of Chadwick Dixon, who bought the assets of FR Dixon earlier this year.

The reply alleged Mr Dixon had withdrawn the cash to "settle personal liabilities".

A spokesman for Primal Scream, recently in the charts with the dance anthem Swastika Eyes, confirmed a "possible misappropriation" of funds was being looked into.