Michael Jackson was a devoted dad adored by his three children, lifelong friend and Oliver! movie star Mark Lester revealed yesterday.

Distraught Mark, 50, who has four children of his own, is godfather to the singer's youngsters Prince, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Blanket.

He said: "My feelings are for those poor children - I love those kids dearly. They are an extended part of my family.

"They adored Michael and he adored them. He was a really good father. He was a relaxed, natural dad.

"Michael had a very strict moral code - they were not allowed to run riot but they are extremely bright and intelligent kids.

"My happiest memories of Michael are when we relaxed as families together watching DVDs or playing music - just being together. We did that many times." Mark now lives with second wife Lisa, a nurse, and his family in Cheltenham, Glos, where he works as an osteopath in his own clinic.

He became close friends with Michael - seven weeks his junior - when they met up as child stars.

Mark was nine when he was cast in the title role of Oliver! in 1968.

Young Michael, then with the Jackson 5, loved the movie so much he arranged to meet Mark during a visit to Britain and the pair remained in close touch ever since.

Mark even took his family on holidays to the superstar's Neverland ranch.The singer showered thousands of pounds worth of gifts on Mark's children when the two families spent last Christmas together in Dubai.

LOS ANGELES – Police investigating Michael Jackson's death looked into his medical treatment Friday, seeking to interview one of the pop king's doctors and seizing a car that they said may contain drugs or other evidence.

As medical examiners began an autopsy for Jackson, police towed a BMW from rented home "because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death," police spokeswoman Karen Rayner said.

She said the car belongs to one of Jackson's doctors whom police wanted to interview. Rayner said she did not know the doctor's identity and stressed the doctor was not under criminal investigation.

The autopsy began Friday morning and was expected to last several hours. An official determination on cause of death was not expected for weeks or longer, until more sophisticated tests are completed.

In a 911 call released by fire officials, a caller reports Jackson was on a bed and not breathing or responding to CPR. The unidentified caller said Jackson only was with his personal doctor at the time. The pop star died later Thursday afternoon at UCLA Medical Center.

As stores reported they were inundated with orders for Jackson's music, a chorus of grief for the megastar spread around the world, from statesmen to icons of music to legions of heartbroken fans.

"I can't stop crying. This is too sudden and shocking," said Diana Ross, who helped launch Jackson's career. "I am unable to imagine this. My heart is hurting."

Lisa Marie Presley, briefly married to the pop icon in the mid-1990s, said he had confided to her 14 years ago that he worried about facing the same tragic fate as her father, Elvis Presley, who died of a drug overdose at age 42.