Britney Spears dazzled her fans by posting a poolside bikini picture at the weekend showing her to be in incredible shape – but some have called her out for photo-shopping a section of the image to make her look even better.

The picture, posted on Sunday (March 20th) via Instagram, of Britney lying on her back by a swimming pool has generated more than 170,000 likes, but many claim that the 34 year old pop star had digitally manipulated part of the image around her torso to make her appear thinner.

Just chilling ??

A photo posted by Britney Spears (@britneyspears) on

According to them, the correct image should show the stone of the poolside, rather than water, in the gap between her back and the grass. Contrasted with the stone edge of the pool off to the right of the image, it certainly looks strange.

“The gap in your back should be stone, not water. Bad photoshop,” one commenter left. “It doesn't look real,” another wrote, “she's beautiful but there's something wrong with the pool's border.”

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However, many other commenters came to Brit’s defence, arguing that the contrast in colour is being caused by the singer’s shadow and that her ultra-toned physique is entirely plausible because of her gruelling residency at Las Vegas, from which she’s currently taking a small and well-earned break. “Omg maybe she's been working out u set of jealous losers well done lass,” a fan responded to the criticism.

On the same day, Britney also took photos of herself playing golf with her 10 year old son Jayden and her young niece, Lexie. “On the green today with these munchkins #SundayFunday” she wrote underneath the pic.

Spears is making the most of her free time before her Planet Hollywood residency resumes on April 6th, flying to Nashville earlier in the week to surprise her younger sister Jamie Lynn as she performed at the Grand Ole Opry theatre on Tuesday.

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