Britney Spears' bodyguards told to accompany her to the bathroom

Britney Spears' dad is keeping such a tight watch on his troubled daughter he has hired someone to watch her when she goes to the toilet, according to U.S. reports.

Jamie Spears has a small army of staff around to keep an eye on Britney every time she is out in public.

And he has ordered them to make sure she stays out of bars - and never goes to the bathroom alone, according to the reports.

Respected gossip column Page Six said the situation was blatant when Britney when Spears went to new LA restaurant Citrus at Social on Saturday night with her father, a few friends and a woman described as "her chaperone".

The group sat at a table to eat, and when she got restless, her bodyguards, stationed at several places throughout the eatery, jumped into action.

"She continuously got up from the table to go to the bathroom or hang out at the bar and smoke a cigarette," an onlooker said.

"Bodyguards followed her to the bathroom and bar."

Another onlooker who saw Spears leave insisted: "She took a coffee cup from the restaurant with her."