Pop star Demi Lovato taken to hospital following a suspected heroin overdose

Singer Demi Lovato has been taken to a Los Angeles hospital following an alleged heroin overdose, US media reports.

American gossip website TMZ wrote on Tuesday that Lovato, 25, had been found ill at her home in the Hollywood hills.

The star has struggled with substance addiction for many years.

Last month the pop star, who has been open about her battle with alcohol and substance abuse in the past, released a single titled Sober, which she referred to on social media as her "truth".

The lyrics read, "Mommy, I'm so sorry I'm not sober anymore, and daddy please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor."

It is believed that the song referred to a relapse which came after she celebrated six years of sobriety in March.

Following the reports, US chatshow host Ellen DeGeneres tweeted: "I love @DDLovato so much. It breaks my heart that she is going through this. She is a light in this world, and I am sending my love to her and her family."

Lovato's friend and fellow singer Ariana Grande posted: "I love u @ddlovato."

Lovato called off two UK concerts back in June after suffering from swollen vocal cords.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department said they received a call at 11.22am for a "medical emergency" and took a 25-year-old woman from a property in Hollywood to a local hospital.

Police are yet to confirm the identity of the patient, but say the woman is now in a stable condition.