The clamour for tickets for Michael Jackson's public memorial has started, but the singer's British fans will be left disappointed.

Only US residents with tickets secured through an online ballot will be allowed in to the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.

Other fans of the King of Pop will be able to watch Tuesday's event from their homes as organisers announced it will be broadcast around the world.

The stadium's website temporarily crashed within moments of AEG Live president and chief executive Tim Leiweke announcing the opening of registration for the draw. He said 17,500 free tickets will be available in pairs for Jackson's fans - 11,000 of which will admit entrance to the Staples Centre itself with 6,500 places to watch on screens at the nearby Nokia theatre.

Mr Leiweke said: "First off, our thoughts and our prayers are with the family, all of the Jackson family, and in particular with Michael Jackson's fans. It is the family's wish to create a service and a celebration that all of Michael's fans around the world can be part of.

"Thus the family has made arrangements to provide a worldwide pool feed to every network for free. The family has also made available 17,500 tickets for Michael's fans to be part of this service."

No information was given about what the memorial service will involve or celebrities who might appear. Jackson's legion of fans have been descending on Los Angeles since his sudden death at the age of 50.

City officials told the press conference that they were encouraging people to stay away unless they had tickets for the memorial as strict checks would be in place.