Shane Filan (AKA singer 'A' from Westlife) is having a spot of bother thanks to his property empire. In fact, it's so bothersome that it's even being reported on stateside.

Contactmusic.com reports that the singer is "embroiled in a legal fight over allegations his property company is $6.4 million (approximately 4.7million Euro) in debt, according to a U.K. report. The Westlife star and two family members (one being his brother Finbar) are being pursued by chiefs at the Bank of Ireland in the Irish High Court over allegedly unpaid debts relating to Filan's firm, Shafin Developments Ltd. Filan applied for a legal agreement in London this week to pay back creditors over a period of time, reports Britain's The Sun. A source tells the publication, 'Shane was desperate to launch himself as a property tycoon when Westlife started to wind down. But it has backfired massively. The property company is saddled with millions of debt. It's been disastrous timing for him to invest in property amid a global economic crisis. He's in dire straits.'"

Silly Sun source, he's not in Dire Straits, is he... Shane is in Westlife, who have a farewell tour consisting of innumerable dates kicking off in London at the beginning of May. That should help towards paying off the debt. In his career to date he's managed to help sell 6.6 million singles and 11.9 million albums in the UK alone, and had 14 number ones. Surely 4.8million Euro is pocket change to someone who was worth in the region of 30million only a few years back...

As for the statement "Shane was desperate to launch himself as a property tycoon when Westlife started to wind down. But it has backfired massively", he launched Shafin Developments in 2004. The year Bryan McFadden left the band. So, really, this is all Bryan McFadden's fault.