Jackson to release own documentary footage

Michael Jackson has today said that he will release video footage which will prove that the Martin Bashir documentary was "misleading and unfair".

In the programme, Living With Michael Jackson, which aired a week ago on ITV1, Bashir said that he was "disturbed" by Jackson's admission that he allows young children to sleep in his bed, and that he was beginning to question Jackson's treatment of his children.

In a statement released on his behalf today, however, Jackson claims to have video footage of Bashir praising him on the way he raises his children, shot by his own personal cameraman.

"The film shows extraordinary scenes of Martin Bashir praising the way Michael treats children and commenting on how good a father he is," the statement said. "The footage clearly shows that Bashir was continuing to praise Michael's abilities as a father and Bashir making many statements about how he feels it is a pity that the world is so quick to criticise Michael. On the face of it, either Martin Bashir was lying to Michael or was misleading his audience in his voice-overs on the film."

It is not yet known when Jackson's footage will be released.

To view the statement in full, click here.