THE LIBERTINES - CARL BARAT: LIBERTINES WILL SPLIT WITHOUT DOHERTY

British rockers THE LIBERTINES are on the verge of splitting, after frontman CARL BARAT revealed he doesn't want to go on without estranged bandmate PETE DOHERTY.

The group have been playing on without Doherty after sacking him last month (JUN04) after three failed attempts to kick his drug addictions in rehabilitation.

But Barat, who shared vocal duties with Doherty, is unsure if the band can survive the split.

He tells British music magazine NME, "It's not 'Can they', it's 'Will they'?

"I want to be in a band with my friend. That's all I can say to that. And that I don't think I want to be in a band called The Libertines if he's not in it, in the long term."

He also justifies his decision to continue without Doherty, "We couldn't just carry on the way it was going. Peter was going to die or someone was going to get killed."