Arrest warrant for Jackson

An arrest warrant has been issued for Michael Jackson over new allegations of child abuse.

US police were reported to have been ready to handcuff the singer and take him into custody when they raided his Neverland Ranch in California.

According to TV reports, they were unable to serve the warrant because Jackson and his three children were in Las Vegas.

Investigators are expected to spend a second day at the estate, investigating claims of child molestation, believed to involve a boy of 12 or 13.

After arriving with a search warrant yesterday, more than 60 officers from the Santa Barbara County sheriff 's department spent the day gathering evidence for what was described as "an ongoing criminal investigation".

Police remain tight-lipped about the allegations which were made in a sealed court affidavit. They arrived in a caravan of vehicles including an ambulance, mobile crime laboratory and a portable lavatory.

The investigation is headed by district attorney Thomas Sneedon, who examined earlier claims of child abuse by Jackson in 1993.

Although Jackson avoided prosecution, he later made a multi-million-dollar outofcourt settlement to 14-year-old Jordy Chandler who claimed he had been molested by the singer during sleepovers at the mansion.

The two cases are said to be unrelated, although police say the first case still remains open.

One report said the boy in the latest allegations had been talking to prosecutors for several weeks and may also have tried to reach a settlement.

Police say they will hold a press conference later today. Jackson was staying at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas at the time of the raid, recording a video. His new greatest hits CD, Number Ones, was released yesterday.

Jackson's attorney Brian Oxman confirmed: "The Santa Barbara Sheriff 's Department did issue an arrest warrant. They will be working through myself to negotiate a surrender."

In a rambling statement released by the lawyer, Jackson, 45, said: "I've seen lawyers who do not represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me. These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video, is being released."

He promised to cooperate with the investigation.

His friend, Uri Geller, said he was "very concerned" about the singer, adding: "He is very gullible and he is naive. I believe he is innocent."