Jackson: I made a mistake

Michael Jackson said today he had made "a terrible mistake" by dangling his baby son from a hotel balcony 50 feet up.

As childcare experts condemned the eccentric pop star as "grossly irresponsible", Jackson - tonight due to attend a children's charity auction in Berlin - tried to excuse his actions as "over-excitement" after going onto his balcony to wave to a group of 200 fans chanting his name outside his hotel.

"I made a terrible mistake," the 46-year-old father of three said in a written statement. "I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children."

But child welfare bodies questioned his suitability as a parent and children's charity worker. "Considering Mr Jackson started a charity to protect children, this was alarmingly irresponsible behaviour with a child," said Kevin Kirkpatrick of Prevent Child Abuse America.

"Holding a child like that with what appeared to be one arm while leaning over a fourthfloor-balcony is pretty careless, to say the least. It is most unfortunate that Mr Jackson felt compelled to demonstrate such alarming behaviour before the international media."

Mr Kirkpatrick said the incident would be considered child endangerment or neglect in the US, but action against him in Germany was unlikely because the child appeared unharmed.

Roma Felstein, of paediatric first-aid firm Safe And Sound, criticised the "grossly irresponsible act", saying: "I would think the first instinct of any parent is to protect their child from any danger. Failing that, one would have thought common sense would have told you holding any child over a balcony could be potentially fatal."

The NSPCC and Children's Society spoke out against yesterday's incident at Berlin's Adlon Hotel, and even Jackson's friend Uri Geller admitted he was horrified. Geller said he would confront his friend and added: "I'm shocked. I cannot believe Michael would do this."

Another friend, Flo Anthony, editor of Black Elegance magazine, said Jackson had made "a grave mistake".

"I don't think Michael was thinking maliciously. He wasn't aiming to toss that baby over the railing," she said. "But I'm not going to say it is not disturbing, because it is disturbing."

The baby, Jackson's nine-month-old son Prince Michael Jackson II, had his head covered by a towel and squirmed and kicked.

Jackson, in Germany to pick up an award, also held another child, thought to be his five-year-old son Prince Michael Jackson Jnr, on the balcony with its head covered by a towel.

Jackson launched a charity, Heal The Kids, to protect children 18 months ago, calling for a universal bill of rights for children. He has two children - Prince Michael and Paris Michael - by nurse Debbie Rowe, whom he divorced in 1999, but has not named the mother of his youngest child.