Britney Spears to be committed

Jan 10, 2008, 13:30 GMT

US singer Britney Spears EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

Britney Spears' family and friends are determined to see the singer committed into a mental institution.

Those close to the singer, including her parents Jamie and Lynne, are convinced Britney is suffering from a serious bipolar disorder and needs to seek professional help.

Her family are so concerned they are willing to go to court to seek an order under California's Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5150, which allows someone who is a danger to herself or others to be held involuntarily for up to three days.

A source close to the Spears family said: "If Britney continues to refuse to seek help voluntarily, the Spears family will go to court to seek a 5150 order declaring her a danger to herself or others.

"While she is in hospital under the 5150 order, Jamie and Lynne can go to court and ask for a 'conservatorship' which basically gives a person legal control of another person's life.

"If this did happen, Britney could be involuntarily committed into a mental hospital."

Britney - who was taken to hospital last weekend following a stand-off when she refused to return her sons, two-year-old Sean Preston and 15-month-old Jayden James to her ex-husband Kevin Federline - has so far refused to admit herself into a psychiatric care centre, but her family are refusing to give up on her.

She is currently in Mexico with her paparazzo lover.

(C) BANG Media International