Singer Spears taken to hospital

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Last Updated: Thursday, 31 January 2008, 10:41 GMT

Singer Spears taken to hospital

Singer Britney Spears has been taken to hospital by ambulance from

her home in Los Angeles, police have said.

A police officer told Associated Press that the pop star was being

taken to hospital to " get help " , but did not say which facility she

was being taken to.

A UCLA medical centre spokesman refused to confirm she had been

admitted there.

Earlier this year Spears, 26, was admitted to hospital after refusing

to surrender custody of her two sons in a stand-off with the police.

'Mental issues'

The star was released from the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center after a day

and a half. The details of her medical treatment were not revealed.

Sole custody of Preston, two, and Jayden , who is one, was

awarded to Spears' ex-husband Federline after the incident.

The singer was also denied visitation rights to her children.

Earlier this week, US talk show host Barbara Walters claimed that

Spears has been receiving treatment for " mental issues " .

She said Spears' manager Sam Lutfi had told her the singer was

suffering from psychiatric problems that are " treatable " .

" She has been having mood swings. She's been having trouble

sleeping, " Walters said on her show The View.

TV therapist Dr Phil McGraw, who visited Spears during her hospital

stay last month, said at the time that he thought she was " in dire

need of both medical and psychological intervention " .

McGraw, who cancelled a planned TV show on the singer's predicament,

was later criticised by Spears' family for speaking publicly about

the matter.