'My fault' admits George Michael

Pop star arrested

Singer George Michael has admitted that he was in possession of Class C drugs when he was arrested in London's West End on Sunday.

The former Wham! star had been spotted slumped at the wheel of his car, in the early hours of the morning.

In a statement to the press, Michael said that the incident was his "own stupid fault, as usual".

The singer, who was bailed to appear at a police station next month, said he had "no complaints" with the police.

He said: "I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offence and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout."

I have been through enough in 24 years of dealing with the media to know what I am in for from them this week George Michael

Michael said his experience of the media meant that he knew exactly what treatment awaited him over the next week.

He said: "I have been through enough in 24 years of dealing with the media to know what I am in for from them this week.

"Much of it will be inaccurate or simply untrue. I can handle that, it is my own stupid fault, as usual."

Slumped

During the incident, an ambulance was sent to the scene, but the 42-year-old was not taken to hospital.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said earlier: "We were called by a member of the public to a man seen slumped over the steering wheel of a car on the street close to Hyde Park Corner.

"A search of the man revealed what was believed to be controlled substances."

But Michael was at pains to point out that he was, in fact, fit to drive.

He said that officers present had actually said that he should be allowed to drive home.

Michael added that police had immobilised his vehicle, so he eventually got a lift home with the duty solicitor.

The star also offered a tongue-in-cheek reference to his previous arrest in his statement.

In 1998, he was detained for lewd conduct in a public toilet in Los Angeles after being spotted by an undercover police officer - which prompted him to write the song Outside.

He said: "PS: I promise I won't make a record out of this one - even though it is tempting."

Successful

Last year, Michael announced that a new film about his life was the start of a retirement from public view.

His life would be a much more "behind the scenes affair", he said, adding that his own genre of music was "dead".

With schoolmate Andrew Ridgeley in duo Wham!, Michael had a string of hits in the 1980s with songs including Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Freedom and I'm Your Man.

His first solo album Faith, released in 1988, sold more than 10m copies.

He went on to spend much of the early 1990s locked in a legal dispute with Sony which prevented him from recording any new material.

Despite his low points, Michael is one of the UK's most successful artists of all time, selling more than 85m records worldwide.