The mother of Michael Jackson's two eldest children is preparing to battle the singer's elderly mother for custody.

Former nurse Debbie Rowe gave away her parental rights in exchange for a £4.2million pay-off ten years ago.

But last night, she told friends she would fight 'tooth and nail' for their return.

Miss Rowe has only seen her son Prince, 12, and 11-year-old daughter Paris, who were conceived through artificial insemination, intermittently but believes she is more equipped to care for them than Jackson's 79-year-old mother Katherine.