Father moves to block Madonna Mercy adoption

The father of the three-year-old girl at the centre of Madonna's current adoption battle has filed for full custody of his daughter after revealing that he feels the pop star lacks the "good morals" needed to bring the youngster up appropriately.

James Kambewa, the 24-year-old biological father of Chifundo 'Mercy' James, told the Daily Mail that he hoped to spare Mercy the "scandal" that would surely come from joining the singer's family.

"Madonna has millions of dollars but that doesn't make her a good mum," said Kambewa. "Parental love is more than money… I don't think Madonna is a model mum. I have seen her in movies of her songs. She doesn't portray good morals. How can a woman of 50 dance almost naked on stage? I wouldn't want my daughter to grow up like that! In Malawi women respect themselves. Cultured women do not go about half-naked."

Kambewa - who has never met his daughter after walking out on her mother while she was pregnant - has written to lawyers requesting a permanent injunction against Madonna's adoption bid, which was blocked by a Malawian court earlier this month on residency grounds.

His comments are unlikely to go down well with Madonna, who has strived to make a good impression. The controversial singer opted to end her relationship with 22-year-old model, Jesus Luz in a bid to impress Malawian officials and has been out of the media spotlight since returning from Africa at the beginning of the month.

Those efforts have not impressed Kambewa. "I also heard after her marriage failed she is already seeing two men, both very younger than her and her ex-husband. I hear one of them is even less than half her age... No, spare my Mercy that scandal", he said.