Patrick Parton escorting Michael Jackson. Picture: Matrixphotos.com

The Shropshire bodyguard who gained a unique insight into the life of tragic superstar Michael Jackson today revealed what life was like with the King of Pop.

Patrick Parton spent eight days in the pocket of Jackson as the singer attended the World Music Awards in London.

He dined with Jackson and even played with the star’s children.

Speaking exclusively to the Shropshire Star, Mr Parton said: “From the start, we picked him up from his private plane and the way he talked to his children was surreal – he was very warm with them. I really saw something different in him.

“We all talk about things that follow him around but you’ve got to be open-minded.

“We all played football in the hotel corridor together. Michael had this pair of white socks on, without shoes. He took his socks off and started playing football with them.

“Michael put me in goal, and I’m rubbish in goal. But then he was not that good at football either, so it evened itself out.”

Mr Parton also saw Jackson’s caring side with his fans, saying: “There was always such a big crowd to see him and they would stay outside his hotel all night.

“One night he called me to him and asked how many people there were outside. I did a quick head-count and told him there were about 150.

“He asked me to order 150 pizzas for them. This was the side of Michael Jackson I saw.”

Another time Mr Parton went with Jackson and his entourage to see the stage musical Mary Poppins in the West End.

“Before we went he asked me to pick 12 people from the crowd outside to go with us,” Mr Parton said.

“I wanted children with parents because the last thing he wanted was just kids, it was not good for the press. But we all went in a massive motorcade of cars.”

Kevin Horak is managing director of Clearwater Special Projects, which co-ordinated Jackson’s personal security on his London visit.

He said: “People wanted to get very close to him but did not mean him any harm. People would queue up for him for hours, for news of something.

“There was an effect that he had, and still has, on a lot of people.”

Illustrating how there were often people out to stitch Jackson up, Mr Parton described how the entourage went to a restaurant in the West End – Jackson, his bodyguards, the Prince of Bahrain and several high powered shop owners.

“We left at about midnight and Michael said we were going shopping because one of the shop owners was going to open up for us,” said Mr Parton.

“We made sure it was locked down and there were no press or photographers there. At one point Grace, Michael’s kids’ nanny, held these kids pants up and said ‘Michael, how about these for the kids?’

“The next day we picked up the papers and there was Michael holding kids underwear.”

Somehow the media had got hold of CCTV footage from the shop and had used it to twist the actions of any normal parent.

He added: “I can understand his life now – it was like living in a goldfish bowl. He could not do anything.

“But going back to his fans, one time there was a big push outside the hotel and a lady fell over. Michael stopped and helped her up. He could have been pushed over himself.”

Mr Parton said that when he heard that Michael Jackson had died it did not seem real.

But even though it was three years ago that Mr Parton worked alongside Jackson, he said he had doubts about his planned 50-date world tour.

Patrick says: “When I heard that he was going to do 50 concert dates, I thought ‘Not a chance’. It would take Superman to do that.

“When fit rock stars do tours they are worn out afterwards and he was not as fit.”

Mr Parton said he would remember the Jackson he got to know during the week he worked for him, not the Jackson portrayed in certain parts of the media.

He said: “I saw a different side to him to what is portrayed by some parts of the press. In those eight days we did a lot together, went to a lot of places and saw a lot of things – all of them good.

“My impressions of him were all good. He was a very shy person and just wanted his little circle (of people).

“He was a good family man, very caring, and very caring towards his fans.

“It was the people around him that he trusted. He trusted too many people. He trusted too many wrong ones.”

EXCLUSIVE by Ben Bentley