Singer Spears remains in hospital

Spears has been denied the right to visit or look after her two sons

Singer Britney Spears is continuing to receive treatment in a hospital in Los Angeles amid reports that she is on a psychiatric ward.

The 26-year-old was taken to the UCLA medical centre by ambulance with a police escort in the early hours of Thursday morning.

She has been committed to a psychiatric ward for a 72-hour stay, according the the Reuters and AP news agencies.

A UCLA spokeswomen refused to confirm if Spears was at the hospital.

Her manager Sam Lutfi told reporters that the star was being held for a three-day mental evaluation on the orders of her psychiatrist, Reuters said.

US law allows for a patient to be placed on "involuntary psychiatric hold" for 72 hours if it is thought they could pose a danger to themselves or others.

Last month, Spears was admitted to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center after refusing to surrender custody of her two sons in a police stand-off.

Following the incident, sole custody of Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, who is one, was awarded to ex-husband Kevin Federline.