PETE TOWNSHEND - PETE TOWNSHEND HIRES BODYGUARD

LATEST: Rocker PETE TOWNSHEND has hired a personal bodyguard - for fear vigilantes will target him after his police caution for visiting a child porn website.

THE WHO star is having to spend $400 (GBP250)-a-day on 24-hour protection - even though all charges against him dropped by British police.

He says, "I am free to get out and about in my home town and most people greet me warmly.

"In any case, in the background I now have a very cool and experienced bodyguard."

Pete, 58, had hired an eight-strong protection squad - at a cost of $3,200 (GBP2,000) a day - after his arrest in January (03) but has now reduced the team to one.

He claims he was abused as a child and only logged onto the website to research his autobiography.