Michael Jackson's shocked fans in Berlin after appearing to dangle a baby from a fifth floor hotel balcony.

The eccentric US pop star had been waving to his German fans when he disappeared back into his room and a few seconds later brought the baby - with a towel covering its head - out onto the veranda.

Holding the baby with one arm he then briefly dangled the infant over the balcony railing of the Adlon Hotel, before hurrying back into his room with the child.

It is not clear if the youngster was one of his own children, Prince or Paris.

There were gasps from the crowd of around 200 fans as it seemed at one stage as if the struggling baby was in danger of falling to the ground.

Jackson was holding the baby with only one hand because he seemed intent on keeping the towel covering its head.

Just inside the hotel room a woman wearing a nanny's uniform smiled and laughed as Jackson rushed the baby back inside.

His close friend Uri Geller didn't seem to believe what had happened. He told ITV News Channel "I was not there to see exactly what he had done, but I can tell you this - Michael is a very responsible father and it's just hard for me to believe that he dangled his son over the railing of his balcony."

"Michael loves his kids and he would never, ever do anything that could put them in danger."

He confirmed that Michael Jackson does have his children with him in Berlin, but said: "Maybe he was dangling come kind of a doll over the railing."

There was also trouble when the star arrived at the Adlon Hotel, which is near Berlin's famous Brandenburg Gate.

He had to fight his way through the crowd of fans to get from his car into the hotel. In the scrum at least one person was injured and a flower pot broken.

Jackson is said to be in Germany on a personal trip although it is thought he will attend the German premiere of the new James Bond Film 'Die Another Day'.

It is also rumoured that he may be given a Bambi lifetime achievement award from the German Burda Publishing house.

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