Rocker Pete Doherty held after drugs raid

British rock star Pete Doherty during his performance at July's Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Bad-boy British rocker Pete Doherty, famous for his relationship with supermodel Kate Moss, has been held by police after a drugs raid on a venue where his band were playing, a spokesman for the singer said today.

Officers with sniffer dogs raided Shrewsbury Music Hall in central England, where Doherty's group, Babyshambles, were playing on Saturday night to target "the suspected illegal use of class A drugs".

They also searched the band's tour coaches.

A West Mercia police spokesman said they had arrested a man and a woman, who was later freed without charge, for suspected possession of a class A drug -- a category which includes cocaine and heroin.

Police would not identify the arrested man but Doherty, a confessed drug addict, had been held, according to his spokesman.

"I know he was held by police last night. He was taken from the venue," the spokesman told Reuters. "I don't know if he's been charged."

He added that the band's two tour buses had also been impounded by police. They are now undergoing forensic tests.

Police said the arrested man had been taken to a police station in Telford and would be questioned later on Sunday.

Doherty, 26, shot to stardom as the lead singer of The Libertines but was kicked out of the band for his well-publicised drug addiction to crack cocaine.

He went on to form his own band Babyshambles and became a regular feature in the tabloid press because of his on-off relationship with Moss, one of the most famous faces in fashion.

Moss became the focus of attention last month when she was pictured in one newspaper allegedly snorting cocaine.

Moss apologised, but a number of retailers and fashion houses cancelled their contracts with her. Police also said they would investigate the newspaper reports.

- REUTERS