GEORGE MICHAEL admitted last night that his arrest on suspicion of possessing drugs was his “own stupid fault, as usual”. The singer was found slumped at the wheel of his car near Hyde Park Corner, Central London, in the early hours on Sunday after a passer-by raised the alarm.

Police and an ambulance raced to the scene after hearing that Michael’s vehicle was parked at a dangerous angle to oncoming traffic. The arrest has raised fears for the physical and mental wellbeing of the controversial singer, 42, who has admitted in the past to being a heavy cannabis user.

The Sun quoted a witness as saying: “George was out of it; he was all over the place. He was found with his head slumped against the wheel. No one could rouse him. He was virtually unconscious. When the police came he could hardly speak.”

Acording to the newspaper, police then searched the car and found cannabis and GHB, a Class C drug known as “liquid ecstasy” which is popular with clubbers.

Michael was initially arrested under his real name, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, on suspicion of being unfit to drive. He was “de-arrested” for this offence after being taken to a police station in the West End where he was examined by a doctor. After spending the rest of the night in a cell he was bailed to return to a police station next month, when he will find out if he is to be charged for drug possession.

In a statement last night Michael said that he had “been through enough” in 24 years of fame to know that he would be the subject of speculation this week after his arrest.

“Much of it will be inaccurate or simply untrue. I can handle that, it is my own stupid fault, as usual. I was in possession of Class C drugs, which is an offence, and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout.

“The only thing I care about is that people know that I was properly tested by the police doctor on Saturday night, who stated to the officers present that I was not impaired in any way and should be allowed to drive home. In fact, the only reason I didn’t drive home was that the police accidentally immobilised my car when they parked it. The duty solicitor very kindly gave me a lift home.”

In a lighter postcript he added: “PS: I promise I won’t make a record out of this one — even though it is tempting.”

This appears to be a reference to Michael’s last well-publicised brush with the law, when he was detained for lewd conduct in a public lavatory in Los Angeles in 1998 after propositioning an undercover police officer.

The incident led him to reveal he was gay, ending years of speculation about his sexuality, and inspired the video for his hit song, Outside.

It is not clear what he was doing by Hyde Park at 1.50am on Sunday. The Daily Mirror reported that he had spent Saturday night having a late dinner with friends in Mayfair. The Sun claimed that sex toys, masks and pornography were found in the boot of his car.

Michael, who lives with his long-term boyfriend, Kenny Goss, spent Sunday attending a memorial service for his mother who died of cancer ten years ago.

Wham!, the band that he formed with his schoolfriend Andrew Ridgeley, were one of the most successful acts of the 1980s and their biggest hits, including Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Club Tropicana and I’m Your Man, are still played in nightclubs up and down the country every night. The duo split in 1986 and Michael embarked on a solo career which has combined great success with controversy.

He has has sold more than 85 million records worldwide and notched up six No 1 singles in the US and 11 in Britain, but he was heavily criticised for the satirical video to his 2002 record Shoot The Dog, which portrayed Tony Blair as George Bush’s poodle.