Spears' ex-bodyguard in drugs claims

Britney Spears' former bodyguard has claimed to have observed the troubled pop star taking drugs in a restaurant restroom.

Tony Barretto, who was fired in May after failing to pick up a hat for the troubled pop superstar, claims he caught Spears taking drugs on two separate occasions.

Now the minder is speaking out because, he claims, he wants to make sure the officials presiding over the pop star's ongoing child custody battle have all the facts about his former boss' alleged drug taking.

Speaking on yesterday's 'Today' show in America, Barretto claimed he caught Spears taking drugs on two separate occasions - once in a restaurant restroom.

"It was secured for her and she was in there for some time alone, and I was waiting for her outside the door," he said.

"I thought it would be appropriate to check on her and I knocked and peaked in and I observed this behaviour."

On the second occasion, Barretto claims he was asked to hold up a "curtain" so Spears could take drugs in private.

"At one point it was getting kinda hard to continue to hold the curtain for such a long period of time," he said. "I (took a) look over to get her approval to let go of the curtain, at which point I noticed what she was doing."