Spears obtains ex-boyfriend ban

Britney Spears is preparing for a lengthy tour starting next month

Singer Britney Spears has obtained a restraining order against ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib and one-time manager Sam Lutfi, court papers show.

The 27-year-old, whose affairs have been controlled by her father as a "conservator" for a year, obtained the order from a Los Angeles judge.

It accused Mr Ghalib, a photographer, and Mr Lutfi of trying to "disrupt" the conservatorship order.

Neither man was available to comment, the Associated Press reported.

Lawyer Jon Eardley, who is also named in the order, was also unavailable for comment.

The documents state the three men have been trying to take charge of Ms Spears' affairs, which have been controlled by Jamie Spears since 1 February 2008.

"On the first anniversary of the establishment of the conservatorship, the co-conservators are informed and believe that these three figures are working in concert to disrupt the conservatorship, with an utter disregard for Ms Spears' health and well-being," the documents, released on Friday, state.

'Anonymous messages'

They also claim that Mr Lutfi had tried to contact the singer by sending text messages to her hairdresser, before sending messages to Ms Spears herself and one of her father's lawyers, Blair Berk, to try to arrange a meeting.

The order, granted by Judge Aviva K Bobb, also alleges Mr Lutfi had sent "anonymous, harassing and threatening" messages to Jamie Spears.

Geraldine Wyle, a lawyer for Mr Spears, wrote that Mr Ghalib, who was brought up in Birmingham before settling in California, and Mr Lutfi had "disappeared" and investigators had been trying to find the pair for six weeks.

An earlier restraining order against Mr Lutfi was not renewed when it expired in July, with Ms Spears' court-appointed attorney issuing a statement renouncing their friendship.

While the conservatorship order has been expensive, with Ms Spears' estate paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, the singer's life has settled down after a turbulent spell which saw her taken to hospital twice.

Her last album, Circus, was released in December and she starts a US tour in New Orleans next month, before an eight-night residency at London's O2 arena in June.