Pop superstar Michael Jackson is being sued by the owners of a Los Angeles jewellery store for allegedly refusing to pay for an exclusive diamond encrusted watch.

The David Orgell store claims multi-millionaire Jackson was lent the $1.45m (£925,000) watch for a few days so he could decide if he wanted to buy it.

The singer is alleged to have held on to the Vacheron Constantine timepiece for four months, at which point he returned it, damaged, saying he did not want it.

Spokesman Ali Soltani said it was the store's "custom and practice" not to ask for payment on the spot when dealing with celebrities.

"That would be insulting to clients like Mr Jackson," he explained.

"But we waited and waited to get paid and never did."

Damaged

The store adds that once Jackson sent the watch back, accompanied by a note, it was scratched and could not therefore be sold as a new item.

It claims to have has an established practice of "lending" items to stars for special events such as the Academy Awards.

On such occasions, it says, the piece would be away for two or three days at the most - it would never let an item go missing without payment for as long as four months.

A spokesman for Jackson could not be reached for comment on the legal action, which seeks full payment for the watch.