Driving with Doherty

POLICE 'CHASED' DOHERTY FOR AN HOUR BEFORE ARREST

LATEST: Troubled rocker PETE DOHERTY was chased by police for an hour before he was arrested on suspicion of stealing a car and possessing hard drugs on Monday (27FEB06).

The BABYSHAMBLES frontman was allegedly spotted by traffic cops driving on England's M6 motorway in a Jaguar car that had been reported stolen in London.

Doherty is then said to have been chased by a series of police vehicles, including several motorbikes, before driving the wrong way up a one-way street in Birmingham where he was stopped and arrested.

Witness MIKE KELLY tells British newspaper The Times, "I saw a large, blue Jaguar being chased at speed up a one-way street the wrong way.

"He was being followed by a police Volvo and was headed off by a grey, unmarked vehicle with its lights flashing...

"When the Jaguar came to a halt I could see it was Pete Doherty that had been driving. I recognised him straight away. He had two passengers, one in the front seat and one in the back, who both looked a fair bit younger.

"When the police approached the driver's side Doherty got out without a struggle. He looked completely out of it, staring into space and looked pale and washed out. He didn't seem too steady on his feet."

The two passengers, aged 18 and 19 and from Dundee, Scotland, were also arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs.

A police spokeswoman confirms the stolen car was spotted on the motorway at 8.18pm on Monday. Doherty was arrested at 9.15pm and bailed yesterday (28FEB06).

Doherty, who previously romanced supermodel KATE MOSS, was slapped with 13 nights in prison in January (06) and ordered to attend a rehabilitation programme following his February conviction on seven drug counts.

At that hearing, the judge warned he could face further time behind bars should he break his community service order.