Welsh singing prodigy Charlotte Church is being sued for damages and breach of agreement by her former manager.

Jonathan Shalit has lodged a writ at London's High Court, suing the soprano and her parents for breaking a management deal that he said was due to run until June 2002.

The singer's parents launched a compensation suit after claiming Mr Shalit had damaged the singer's career.

Mr Shalit, 37, is now counter-suing for a percentage of her future earnings.

He said the young singer's mother and adoptive father Maria and James Church had failed to do their best to stop her from pulling out of the deal which also secured him 20% of Charlotte's income as commission.

Her solicitors wrote to Shalit in January saying the deal was unenforceable and that he should no longer consider himself to be her manager.

The young singing star was discovered when she appeared on a television talent show, aged just 11.

Since then she has been the youngest solo artist to break into the top 30 US album chart and the top 40 in the UK's pop and classical charts.

Charlotte, who celebrated her 14th birthday on 21 February, was estimated to have earned about �6m before tax last year.

But she allows herself just �50 pocket money a month and puts the rest into the bank.