PETE DOHERTY - DOHERTY MISSES COURT

LATEST: Troubled British rocker PETE DOHERTY was a no-show in a London court today (09JUN06) - because he is undergoing a drug rehabilitation treatment in Portugal. The BABYSHAMBLES frontman, 27, was expected at Thames Magistrates Court in east London today for a scheduled progress hearing on his court-ordered rehab program following his arrests this year (06) for drug possession. His lawyer SEAN CURRAN requested the hearing to be rescheduled for six to seven weeks, by which time Doherty hopes to be clean. Curran said, "I have spoken to the person who is managing Mr Doherty at present and he has confirmed he is in Portugal and he is at the clinic. "I understand treatment is going well and he is due to return back to the UK on Saturday." District JUDGE JANE MCIVOR said there was no problem with his absence, adding, "it's a tough struggle for him, but he's not going backwards". Doherty checked into the unnamed clinic for a week-long treatment earlier this week (ends09JUN06), only a week after he was detained on a flight from London to Spain after airline staff found a bloody syringe in the toilets.