Barat (left) and Doherty continued to play for fans backstage

The pair played 13 songs together during Doherty's gig at London's Hackney Empire on Thursday.

NME reporter Priya Elan described their set as a "momentous occasion".

But Barat's spokesman Tony Linkin said it was just a one-off: "They just got together for the night. There are no plans for anything more than that."

The pair were busy with their own bands, he added. "Babyshambles are doing their own thing and Dirty Pretty Things are doing what they are doing."

Recently, however, Barat said: "We're not doing very different things but at some point I'd be happy to work with Pete. Our relationship hasn't really faded away."

Obviously the tension which stopped them before has been broken Priya Elan NME

The pair whispered and hugged each other in between songs, and Doherty occasionally helped Barat out with the words.

"There was a very strong sense that they are still friends and that will never go away. I think that is what some of the fans tapped into," he said.

"It didn't feel cynical like a lot of reunions do, it felt quite natural."

Speaking to BBC Radio 1, Doherty fan Daisy said: "They seemed really happy - they were smiling and hugging each other."

Doherty teased fans about Barat's surprise performance

The set included Libertines classics such as What Katie Did and Time For Heroes.

After the gig, Doherty and Barat went backstage to play an acoustic set with the windows open.

Hundreds of fans stood outside listening, which Mr Elan claimed was very much "in the spirit of the band".

The couple's fall-out has never been fully explained, although Doherty was jailed in 2003 after breaking into Barat's flat and stealing some of his belongings.

On his release from prison, he rejoined the band, but the reconciliation was fraught with arguments and continuing drug problems.