Michael Jackson wants a child with no limbs or one that's in a wheelchair to join him onstage at his upcoming O2 Arena shows, it's been reported.

The Sun claims to have got its hands on an email from the tour promoters AEG Live which was supposedly sent to London casting agencies looking for children between the ages of 4 and 16 and with “a visible disability.”

A 'source' told the daily rag: “Michael plans to have kids from all backgrounds on stage to fit in with his message of world peace and love.”

Jackson's former publicist last week threw doubt upon whether the O2 Arena shows would happen at all, saying: “Michael is not mentally, physically or spiritually ready for these shows.”