The chain is angry that the singer has given their Woolworths rivals the sole rights to sell The Road To Freedom cross-channel.

Says HMV Europe Product Director Steve Gallant: "We are both surprised and sorry that Chris de Burgh's management do not consider a music specialist like HMV to be an appropriate outlet for his new album. We would very much like to support this artist, as we have done for many years in the past, but it's difficult for us to do this when his management appear to have so little faith in our ability to sell and merchandise his albums. This is a decision that we've taken reluctantly – we hope that HMV will be given an opportunity to sell new releases by this artist in the future."

De Burgh's decision has also piqued independent retailers such as Phil Pavling of Threshhold Discs in Cobham, Surrey.

"So, that colossus of crimes against music, Chris de Burgh, has decided to make his new album available exclusively through the Woolworths chain," he fumes in UK trade bible, Music Week. "Unfortunately for him, our local high street has no Woolies for his long-suffering fans. Fortunately for me, as he no longer wishes to sell his music via independents, I now have the perfect excuse to dead-stock everything in my store by this mawkishly sentimental, whimpering, simpering bag o' banal shite."

Contacted by hotpress.com, HMV confirmed that the de Burgh ban doesn't apply in the Republic.