Britney Spears' parents say her life is "at risk"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The parents of pop star Britney Spears returned to a court on Thursday to deal with the troubled singer's affairs one day after saying they believed her life was at risk.

The hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court was closed to the public, and a court spokesman said the proceedings were sealed. But several media reports said Spears' father, Jamie Spears, and a court-appointed co-conservator were hoping to strengthen control over her affairs.

Neither Spears nor her parents attended the hearing.

A day earlier, the parents said their daughter is in the middle of a mental crisis, and they believe her life is at risk since she left a hospital where she was under psychiatric care.

"As parents of an adult child in the throes of a mental health crisis, we were extremely disappointed ... to learn that over the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist, our daughter Britney was released from the hospital that could best care for her and keep her safe," said the joint statement released late on Wednesday on behalf of the singer's father and her mother, Lynne Spears.

"We are deeply concerned about our daughter's safety and vulnerability and we believe her life is presently at risk," the statement said.

Spears, 26, was released from the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon after a six-day stay for psychiatric evaluation. Almost immediately, the paparazzi that have followed her every move in recent months began tracking the singer again.

AVERTING 'A TRAGEDY'