Image caption Coleman is likely to be cremated during next week

Former Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman will be cremated, but a funeral service will not take place.

Robert Jeffs, who has been appointed by a judge to oversee the actor's estate, announced the news.

Mr Jeffs told The Associated Press that Coleman's will had stipulated that a funeral service was not to take place.

The star of the hit 1980s television sitcom passed away last month at the age of 42 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

No press

Mr Jeffs is in charge of Coleman's estate until a dispute between the star's ex-wife and ex-girlfriend has been settled.

The pair both claim to be the legal administrators of his estate.

He said Coleman's ashes and property will be securely stored until a final decision is made about an executor for his will, which could take months.

The judge has ordered that Coleman's remains be cremated no sooner than Wednesday afternoon.

In a will drawn up in 1999, Coleman stated he wanted a wake conducted by people who had no financial ties to him and "can look each other in the eyes and say they really cared personally for Gary Coleman".

He also said he did not want any members of the press to attend.

The last testament named Dion Mial, one of Coleman's friends and former managers, who withdrew his petition to be named as the special administrator of Coleman's estate on Monday.

Mr Mial's lawyer said Coleman's ex-girlfriend Anna Gray took precedence as an administrator because she had been in the child star's life more recently.