Musicians have written to Sir Richard Branson over thousands of pounds owed following the closure of the Virgin Hotel in Glasgow.

The hotel shut unexpectedly last December after just four months with the loss of 150 jobs.

Now, almost a year later the musicians say they are still owed thousands of pounds in unpaid fees.

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The letter to the Virgin founder and entrepreneur, is signed by a Grammy winner, politicians, union reps and several artists.

The staff affected were all paid for the time they worked at the hotel but the freelance musicians say they have been left out of pocket leading to financial difficulty for some.

The letter states: “Artists were assured on numerous occasions by the Regional Director of Entertainment, external to the Glasgow hotel, that their outstanding invoices would be paid in spite of waits of over three months in some instances.

“As those reassurances came from senior management, artists continued to accept bookings, with some accumulating unpaid invoices totalling thousands of pounds.

“While senior management may not have been fully aware of the extent of the financial issues, it was irresponsible for the group to continue to book musical entertainment for the hotel if there was even the slightest likelihood that musicians would not be paid for their work.

“We see it as unethical and unjust for artists to bear the financial repercussions of Virgin Hotels’ mismanagement of this situation.”

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The letter is signed by percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, president of Help Musicians and a multiple Grammy Award winner.

Politicians and union leaders including former Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss Pauline Black, past union president of Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) and Bryan Simpon of Unite union have also given their backing.

The artists have told Mr Branson they are owed £17,000 by Virgin Hotels.

The letter continued: “When Virgin Hotels Glasgow closed on December 19th last year, around 150 employees lost their jobs with immediate effect.

“While these employees were ultimately paid for the work they had undertaken, the award-winning and renowned artists who had been performing in the hotel were not.

“With some being owed as much as £4000, that non-payment has led to both financial and emotional difficulty during what was already an extremely challenging time. “

They said the performers put their trust in Virgin Hotels and were only willing to continue to work in spite of waiting for outstanding fees to be paid because of the “inherent trust” they had in Virgin as a brand, and because of its roots, and reputation, within the music industry.

Virgin Hotels has been contacted for comment.