Singer Pete Doherty back on stage

Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty has returned to the stage for the first time since spending 29 days in prison for drug and driving offences.

He performed with his band at The Forum in north London on Tuesday.

The singer, 29, was released from Wormwood Scrubs last week after serving less than half of his 14-week sentence.

Doherty claims to have kicked his drug habit during his spell in jail, and showed off a clean test certificate after being released.

The singer told the Forum crowd he was "a bit rusty" after his spell in prison and joked that he had developed a "massive spot" on his face.

"In his trademark grey suit, white shirt, braces and a trilby, Doherty looked healthier than his former self" Read BBC 6 Music's gig review

The Babyshambles frontman began the show by thanking "everyone who wrote a letter over the last month" before the band opened with the song Pipedown from their debut album Down In Albion.

He was joined on stage by The Pogues' Shane MacGowan and tried to break the smoking ban by lighting up a cigarette, BBC 6 Music reported.

Doherty was sent to jail in April after missing appointments with his probation officers.

He had been caught driving with no MoT, no insurance and in possession of various class A drugs including heroin and crack cocaine in October.

He was given a suspended sentence, ordered to take part in a drug rehabilitation programme and told report to court regularly.

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