Beat it: Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch on verge of being auctioned off

Pop’s Michael Jackson is in danger of losing his (in?)famous Neverland ranch after getting into arrears on mortgage repayments.

The singer apparently owes nearly $25m (£12.5m) on the 2,800 hectare property, which he originally bought in 1987 with the intention of turning into a fantasy playground for children.

After adding a zoo and a fairground to the grounds in California, child molestation charges in 2005 – even though Jackson was acquitted – have effectively put paid to that idea and the singer has not lived at Neverland since.

Closed in 2006 after Jackson neglected to pay staff or insurance, the property will go up for auction on March 19th, a Santa Barbara official told the BBC.

The auction will include "all ferris wheels, carousels, merry-go-round type devices... and all amusement ride equipment and facilities of every kind or nature".

Bonanza!