Britney SpearsBritney Spears‘ paparazzo boyfriend Adnan Ghalib had reportedly been trying to woo the star for around 18 months before she finally invited him to join her in a hotel room in December - because he believes she’s his ticket to fortune.

According to the News of the World, Birmingham-born Adnan started telling friends of his plans in mid-2006 when he returned to the UK for a family wedding.

A family source told the newspaper: “During all the wedding parties he said he’d pictured celebs like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, but he wanted much more. His plan was to get close to a famous girl then get sensational pictures that would make him a mint. And he kept mentioning Britney and how she knew his name already.”

“Adnan is a smart guy … and has always known how to make things work. What he did with Britney was NOT take photographs of her.”

“Whenever she was vulnerable and the pack were flashing shots of her in a really bad way, Adnan would make a careful show of putting down his camera to help her with bags or into a car.”

“Over time she grew to trust him, and all the while he was giving her his card and even sending flowers. He knew not to rush it and … she began to believe he was different from all the rest. But it was all part of his masterplan.”

After her release from hospital, Britney spent last weekend with the photographer then flew down to Mexico with him - and his photo agency boss - for an afternoon this week: Adnan is said to have taken some semi-nude photos of the star while his boss captured pictures of the two walking around Baja California hand-in-hand.

But, the News of the World’s source added, Adnan’s goal has now changed: “All he wanted to do was get close enough for some special pictures. But now he’s cleverly changed tack says he is planning a long-term relationship with Britney and that they’ve even discussed marriage.”

“He said they were going from strength to strength and that she now depended on him to look after her, which he was trying to do.”

“It seems it’s all spun out of his control and now he may really have feelings for her. Adnan said they were talking about the future together and had a spiritual bond which was nothing to do with showbusiness.”

“Last week he called to say how she is amazing in bed and gets turned on by him talking dirty in his Brummie accent. Adnan says she takes lots of prescription happy pills to get her high before getting really filthy in the bedroom.”

“He said he’d ’struck gold’ in all ways and was going to keep hold of her for as long as he could.”

“He is still [married to his first wife] so he knows he can’t do anything until there’s a divorce from his wife. He’s probably working on that already.”

A source close to Britney added that it isn’t just Adnan who is keen to tie the knot and the star gave a very public hint that she has weddings on her mind on Friday: she was spotted shopping for cars while wearing the same white lacy dress she wore for her marriage to Kevin Federline in 2004.

A record company source told the Sunday Mirror: “Lawyers are now on red alert in case she does get married. Britney is very unpredictable at the moment but the feeling is that a wedding is very likely.”

“Her family have discussed with lawyers what could be done if she does suddenly fly away and tie the knot. They are preparing to argue that she is not in a sound state of mind - that she is strung out on so many prescription drugs that she does not know what she is doing.”

Her parents are also said to be explore ways to convince Britney she needs treatment for an as-yet undiagnosed mental condition but she isn’t interested: “She may be near considering treatment but she won’t take it from her parents.”

“She has told them if they hassle her like that again, she will go into hiding. They are piling on the pressure and she is reacting to that.”

Britney also may be feeling pressured over tomorrow’s court hearing regarding her access to sons Sean and Jayden. She was temporarily barred from seeing the boys after last week’s showdown at her Beverly Hills home but her legal team are expected to ask for her court-monitored visits to be reinstated as the boys miss their mum.

But a source close to the case told Us Weekly that Kevin Federline’s lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan is likely to ask that her access if “cut off completely until the [full custody] trial in April”.

The source added that was well as no interaction with the children, Kaplan will argue that the temporarily restraining order keeping her away from Kevin should also be extended: “I think everyone is hugely concerned about her just showing up at Kevin’s house and making a scene and demanding to see the kids.”

“That wouldn’t be good for anyone.”