Motorcade for Michael Jackson

A motorcade of 30 cars has been given police clearance to carry Michael Jackson's coffin from Los Angeles to his Neverland ranch so that fans can pay their last respects. The journey from LA to the 2,500-acre ranch in the Santa Ynez valley, northeast of Santa Barbara, will take about two hours and is due to happen on Thursday.

The plan was confirmed by Lt Butch Arnoldi of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department following a series of meetings on Tuesday to plan the motorcade. "Our guys are meeting with the California Highway Patrol to discuss security issues," he said.

Other unconfirmed reports say Jackson will be in a glass coffin, carried on the last part of his journey in a white coach, led by two horses. Whether Jackson will be buried at Neverland is not yet clear, partly because it is probably illegal.

At the height of Jackson's fame, he employed 150 staff to run the ranch, complete with theme park and zoo. But when Jackson was arrested on child abuse charges, the ranch was ransacked by police looking for evidence. In February this year, many of the contents were carted off to auction - but the sale was halted after Jackson agreed to do the London concerts in a bid to settle his debts.

Other developments:

♦ Parental dispute: The website TMZ reports that neither Jackson, nor his ex-wife Debbie Rowe, are the biological parents of any of the children. They were instead conceived by in vitro fertilisation, using donated sperm and eggs, and born via surrogate mothers.

♦ Father's identity: The magazine US Weekly claims that Arnold Klein, Jackson's LA-based dermatologist and Debbie Rowe's former boss, is the real father of the two older children, Prince Michael and Paris. The magazine reports a family insider saying: "He is the dad. He and Debbie signed an agreement saying they would never reveal the truth." Klein refused to comment.

♦ Harlem memorial: The Rev Al Sharpton and filmmaker Spike Lee were among thousands who attended a memorial service yesterday at Harlem's historic Apollo Theatre, where the Jackson 5 launched their careers in 1967 by winning an amateur night contest.