Britney back in hospital

Troubled Britney Spears was back in hospital today for the second time this month after being taken from home by ambulance escorted by more than a dozen police motorbikes, two patrol cars and a pair of helicopters.

One officer said the pop star was being taken to “get help.”

Celebrity websites reported that Spears was being placed on “a mental evaluation hold” in Los Angeles’ UCLA Medical Centre after her new psychiatrist felt she was a danger to herself and others.

On January 3 police were called to her Studio City home when she refused to return her two young sons to ex-husband Kevin Federline, who has legal custody.

Officers at the time had paramedics take her to a hospital for undisclosed reasons. She was released after a day and a half in Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre.

Spears recently lost visiting rights to her sons, Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James.

She and Federline divorced in July after nearly three year of marriage.

The bitter custody dispute and several episodes of bizarre behaviour by the singer have attracted scores of paparazzi, who stake out her house and tail her when she leaves.