MICHAEL Jackson's family has reportedly made plans to entomb the pop legend in concrete to protect his corpse from graverobbers.
An elaborate gold-plated coffin has been prepared for the singer, who will be buried in stage costume with a selection of mementoes from his glittering career, including the iconic single white glove he sported in the 1980s.
But media reports in t
he US, citing a source close to the Jackson family, claim they plan for the coffin to be encased in thick concrete to prevent obsessive fans digging up the coffin or plundering macabre souvenirs.
Jackson, who was 50 when he died, is expected to be given a temporary burial spot at Forest Lawn Memorial Park – the resting place of soul legend Marvin Gaye and actress Bette Davis.
However, his family is pressing for the law to be changed to allow the star to be buried at the Neverland home he built 150 miles north-west of Los Angeles. Current state law in California forbids burials outside of cemeteries.
It is expected that his funeral will be held in private and in secret, before a massive public memorial service scheduled for the Staples Center, a city centre basketball arena, in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
An online lottery has been set up to allocate 17,500 free tickets for the event, but with massive demand, fears persist that touts may attempt to cheat the system by using fake e-mail addresses to acquire the places.
In addition to the ticketed fans, thousands more are expected to travel to Los Angeles and 1,400 police officers have been asked to volunteer as part of a massive security operation.
Meanwhile, Madonna last night paid tribute to Jackson during a performance at London's O2 arena.
A picture of a young Jackson appeared onstage while Madonna was performing her 1980s hit Holiday, and a Jackson impersonator copied the icon's distinctive dance moves.
The full article contains 327 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
