Richards and the rest of the Rolling Stones are currently touring

The 61-year-old beat stars including Charlotte Church and Ozzy Osbourne to take the title.

Richards, who is currently on tour with the band, is known for his legendary sex, drugs and rock n' roll lifestyle.

The veteran star was voted number one in a poll by music TV channel VH1 which asked viewers to name their top 10 living hellraisers.

TOP 10 LIVING HELLRAISERS 1. Keith Richards 2. Courtney Love 3. Ozzy Osbourne 4. Pete Doherty 5. Shaun Ryder 6. Tommy Lee 7. Johnny Rotten 8. Robbie Williams 9. Charlotte Church 10. Liam and Noel Gallagher

In June 1967, Richards was sentenced to one year in prison for allowing cannabis to be smoked in his home.

The sentence - considered harsh for a first offence - was quashed on appeal, but Richards was blighted by drug dependency throughout the 1970s.

Second in the poll was singer Courtney Love who has had a number of brushes with the law over the years.

Courtney Love's behaviour regularly makes headlines

The former stripper was the wife of Kurt Cobain, one of rock music's biggest icons, and has earned a reputation for being volatile and unpredictable.

Osbourne, who famously bit the head off a bat on stage, was third.

Former Voice of an Angel singer Church is the youngest in the list.

Her partying has attracted admirers, including Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, who said: "She could be the next Liam".

Gallagher, and his brother Noel, came 10th in the list - one place behind Church.

Other people to make the list included singer Pete Doherty, Motley Crue's Tommy Lee, Sex Pistols star Johnny Rotten, and Robbie Williams.