Pictures of Jackson rehearsing 48 hours before death emerge

These are the last pictures of Michael Jackson on stage, taken just two days before he died while he was hard at work rehearsing for his comeback tour. The pictures give a glimpse of what was in store for fans at his planned gigs in London that were to scheduled to begin on July 13.

Rehearsing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the pictures show Jackson, despite looking frail, striking familiar poses and appearing to be in full flow during the rehearsal.

In another photo, he smiles broadly, microphone in hand, dressed in a long shimmering mac over a top and trousers.

More than 800,000 tickets had been sold for the concerts at London's O2 arena which were hailed as the most 'expensive and technically advanced' live shows ever.

The concerts had been expected to be the highest grossing pop production of all time.

Hundreds of thousands of fans who bought tickets for the cancelled gigs have been told they will be entitled to a refund.