Houston heads home

A convoy under police escort believed to be carrying the body of Whitney Houston arrives at a Los Angeles airport.

Shortly afterwards a private jet reportedly owned by film star and producer Tyler Perry was seen taking off, reportedly returning the singer to her New Jersey home.

A spokeswoman for Houston said plans for her funeral and memorial services were not yet complete.

At the Beverly Hilton Hotel where Houston died on Saturday a makeshift memorial has grown up.

Flowers, pictures and notes fill a corner of the lawn in front of the sprawling building where the star was found dead in a bathtub.

The cause of her death at the age of 48 remains a mystery at this stage.

The coroner's office says it's waiting for the outcome of toxicology tests which could take several weeks.

Houston had fought a long battle against alcohol, cocaine and marijuana addiction and had been in rehab as recently as May last year.

Paul Chapman, Reuters