Alesha Dixon is being sued by former Mis-Teeq bandmate over royalties

Alesha Dixon is being sued by her former bandmate Sabrina Washington, according to reports.

The legal battle is over royalties going back more than 15 years from when the musicians started out their chart-topping career in band Mis-Teeq.

Lead singer Sabrina starred in the girlband from 1999 alongside Alesha Dixon and Su-Elise Nash until they split in 2005.

Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha has allegedly "wrongfully claimed" songwriting royalties for Mis-Teeq's first two songs Why and All I Want and Sabrina is trying to claim back some of the cash.

Sabrina is understood to have also begun legal proceedings against former label Universal, according to The Sun.

The lawsuit is not set to be amicable after an insider told the publication that Sabrina "feels she is owed thousands".

“It is war. Sabrina had to play second fiddle for years and Alesha received 5% royalties for the girls’ first two songs whereas Sabrina received nothing - they both should have got 2.5%," the source told.

The pal continued: “Sabrina wasn’t listed as a writer for the tracks but it was written in her contract that she would get pay parity. She feels she is owed thousands.”

A spokesman for Sabrina told the publication: “We are unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”

Mirror Online has contacted representatives for both Alesha, Sabrina and Universal for comment.

In 2008 Sabrina made a dig at Alesha and her talent.

She openly said: "A lot of people say Alesha should have stuck to MC-ing because her voice isn't that strong and I agree. I did a lot of the work in Misteeq."

In her solo single Gone, released last year, Sabrina revealed she turned to alcohol after the band went Mis-Teeq went their separate ways.

She sang on the track: "Another story of a pop babe, that took to the bottle when she left the stage… one more sip and there’s me gone."

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Sabrina WashingtonAlesha Dixon