Amanda Bynes loses bid to leave psychiatric hospital

Amanda Bynes has lost her latest bid for freedom - a judge has shut down her lawyer's request to release the star from a psychiatric hospital.

The Hairspray actress has spent the past 10 days on an extended 5150 psychiatric hold after she was arrested for starting a fire on a driveway in Thousand Oaks, California.

She appeared before a judge in the psych ward on Thursday (01Aug12), according to TMZ.com, and listened intently as her lawyer argued there was no legal basis to hold her.

At the hearing, her representative told the judge that Bynes was perfectly capable of looking after herself and she was not a danger to others.

But the judge agreed with her doctors, who are still trying to counsel and treat the actress for an alleged mental illness.

They fear she won't take the medications that have stabilised her odd behavior if she's allowed to walk free.