Spears taken from home in custody dispute

Police were called to Britney Spears’ home in a custody dispute that lasted nearly three hours before the reportedly intoxicated singer turned over her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Aerial TV footage showed Spears, 26, being lifted into an ambulance. It was unclear where she was being taken.

Police said Spears was under the influence of an unknown substance, and no injuries were reported.

The incident involved a family dispute that officers worked to resolve “peacefully by court order”, said a police spokesman.

Six police cars, an ambulance and a fire service vehicle entered Spears’ home in a gated community at around 10.30pm local time (6.30am Irish time).

Spears and Federline are fighting over custody of their sons, two-year-old Sean Preston and one-year-old Jayden James.

Federline, 29, has temporary custody of the children because Spears, who has limited visitation rights, has defied court orders. The two were married in October 2004 and divorced last July.

Yesterday, the singer appeared for a deposition in the custody dispute.

Spears called in sick for a court-ordered deposition on December 12, but was photographed that day driving with a friend. She also did not show up for a session on Wednesday.

Spears’ lawyers from the firm Trope and Trope filed a court motion on Wednesday asking to be relieved due to a “breakdown” in communication with their client.