Richard Ashcroft celebrates winning the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the Ivor Novello awards in London last night

It's a bitter sweet victory for the lead singer of the Verve, who finally won the rights to his hit song following a 22-year legal battle with the Rolling Stones.

Richard Ashcroft, 47, said the 'bitter taste' following years of conflict has gone after Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards signed over the rights to Bitter Sweet Symphony last month.

Since the song was released in 1997, Mr Ashcroft has not earnt any royalties as a result of the dispute.

The Verve sought permission before they released the song to use an orchestral version of the Rolling Stones' The Last Time as part of the song, which was recorded by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra in 1965.

The Stones agreed to grant the use of a five-note segment of the recording in exchange for half of the royalties.

But Stones' manager Allen Klein, who died in 2009, claimed the Verve had used a larger chunk of the song and voided the agreement and began a lengthy plagiarism case.

Mr Ashcroft insisted it was Mr Klein, rather than the musicians, who had been responsible for the dispute.

He said: 'It always left a slight bitter taste. Whenever I heard it, there was always something knocking around in my mind.

Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (pictured in Marseille in June 2018) have finally given Ashcroft the full rights to Bittersweet Symphony after a 22-year legal battle

'Now that's finally clear and I can thank Mick and Keith for that. It's incredible because the Stones, Mick and Keith, didn't need to do that.

'It also goes against the tide. At the moment there's a lot of lawyers chasing around songs and melodies.'

Announcing the news at the Ivor Novello awards in London on Thursday night, where he was given the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award, Ashcroft said the dispute was never about the money but about his need to be credited.

He told the crowd: 'Thank you so much Keith Richards and Mick Jagger for acknowledging me as the writer of a f***ing masterpiece. It'll live forever.'

The music video features Ashcroft walking down a busy East London pavement in Hoxton

Ashcroft also said the dispute was never about the money, despite losing out on decades of royalties, but the need to be credited for his creation.

He said: 'At least I can sit next to my son now and go, 'Yeah, I wrote that'. Whenever I heard it, there was always something knocking around in my mind.

'Now that's finally clear, and I can thank Mick and Keith for that. Many, many dollars have gone under the bridge. But it's not really about the dollars, it never really was.

'It was about being credited for what you'd done. The amount of time I spent on that tune was incredible.'

Last night, Ashcroft posted a tweet under the title 'Bitter Sweet Press Release' (centre), saying it was a 'remarkable and life affirming turn of events'

Ashcroft added that he greatly admired The Rolling Stones and was delighted to see his song returned to him by a musical inspiration.

He said: 'It's incredible. Because The Stones, Mick and Keith, didn't need to do that. To see it come all the way round, such legends musically, we all know probably one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time.

'For them to do this is wonderful. It also goes against the tide. At the moment, there's a lot of lawyers chasing around songs and melodies. 'Does that sound like that? Right, well let's sue him'.

'It's quite nice to say, 'Hang on, I had nothing to do with that. Those are his lyrics, that's his melody'.'

Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Stones in Hamburg in September 2017

Last night, Ashcroft also posted a tweet under the title 'Bitter Sweet Press Release', saying: 'It gives me great pleasure to announce as of last month Mick Jagger and Keith Richards agreed to give me their share of the song Bitter Sweet Symphony.

'This remarkable and life affirming turn of events was made possible by a king and magnanimous gesture from Mick and Keith, who have also agreed that they are happy for the writing credit to exclude their names and all their royalties derived from the song they will now pass to me.

'I would like to thank the main players in this, my management Steve Kutner and John Kennedy, the Stones manager Joyce Smith and Jody Klein (for actually taking the call). Lastly, a huge unreserved hertfeld thanks and respect to Mick and Keith. Music is power.'