Pete Doherty has admitted to having a drug problem

Pete Doherty started making headlines in 2002 when his then band, The Libertines, emerged to almost instant acclaim.

Coming into a rock scene ruled by the garage-rock sensibilities of bands such The White Stripes and The Strokes, the London four-piece were seized on by a British rock press keen for local heroes amidst the sudden hunger for the new wave of US rock.

But very soon it was Doherty alone who was making the headlines.

Both he and songwriting partner Carl Barat had admitted to drug problems - with Doherty living with an addiction to both heroin and crack cocaine.

Flick knife

Their often stormy relationship came to a head in 2003 when Doherty broke into Barat's flat and stole some of his belongings, for which he served two months in prison.

On his release, Doherty rejoined his Libertine bandmates, but it was fraught with problems, and the band was forced to cancel some gigs when he was taken ill.

The singer spent time recuperating at a Buddhist monastery in Thailand, but found himself in trouble with the law on his return when he was arrested in June for possessing a flick-knife.

He admitted possession in court and received a four month suspended prison sentence. But as far as his bandmates were concerned, it was a step too far, and he was kicked out and told to clean up.

Despite losing their frontman, The Libertines' career continued to flourish.

'Cool icon'

Their single Can't Stand Me Now went to number two in the charts when it was released in August 2004.

The NME named Doherty as its "cool icon"

And their self-titled second album, on which Doherty played, went straight to the top of the album charts when it was released in September 2004.

In November a drugs charity accused magazine NME of behaving irresponsibly by naming Doherty as its Cool Icon of 2004.

The NME said Doherty and Barat embody "the notion of cool".

Drugs charity Addaction feared this would influence readers, saying: "Young people are vulnerable to hard drugs."

But the magazine's assistant editor Malik Meer said it was the 25-year-old's talent which earned him the title.

That talent was transferred to Doherty's new band, Babyshambles, after his departure from The Libertines.

The two bands will compete head-to-head for the title of best live band at the NME Awards on 17 February.

Like his former band, Babyshambles also concentrated on using the internet to keep in touch with its fanbase and has already scored a UK top 10 hit with the single Killamangiro.

Worse for wear

Secret gigs are organised via their website and the band has also taken part in some high profile events, such as London radio station Xfm's Winter Wonderland in December and, more recently, a tsunami charity gig in London.

But pictures of Doherty looking worse for wear at the gig soon made front page fodder for the tabloid newspapers.

Doherty's relationship with Kate Moss has made headlines

His recent high-profile relationship with model Kate Moss has led to a voracious appetite amongst the red-top newspaper for stories

Doherty and Moss reportedly hooked up at Moss' 31st birthday party last month.

Since then, the troubled singer has reportedly referred to Moss as his "soulmate", and the couple's brief romance has been played out in public.

His arrest means the Doherty drama is unlikely to diminish from the public eye just yet.