‘Delirious’ Britney taken to hospital

Britney Spears was forcibly removed from her home in California today when she refused to hand over her two sons to court officials. Spears, 26, was given only limited visitation rights in October after she failed to comply with court orders and was involved in a hit-and-run driving incident. Temporary custody was granted to the father of the two boys, Kevin Federline.

More than six police cars, two ambulances a fire engine and a helicopter were sent to the singer's Beverly Hills home during the four-hour stand-off where she allegedly locked herself in the bathroom with her children. At 10.50pm the former teen idol finally gave up her sons to the authorities and was wheeled out of the house tied to a stretcher, before being placed in an ambulance and driven to hospital.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles police said that Spears was under the influence of an "unknown substance" and would undergo psychological tests to determine her mental wellbeing. ·