THE LIBERTINES - RESURGENT LIBERTINES OFF TO FRANCE

Newly reformed rockers THE LIBERTINES are celebrating their new lease of life by heading to France to record an album - and keep guitarist PETE DOHERTY off drugs.

Doherty was released from London's WANDSWORTH PRISON a fortnight ago (08OCT03) after serving a month for burgling bandmate CARL BARAT's flat in a drug-induced frenzy.

However, the pair have reconciled by playing a number of impromptu gigs following Doherty's release, and are now heading to France to record new songs - and ensure the self confessed heroin and crack cocaine addict continues the drugs rehabilitation which began in prison.

Doherty says, "With me being in that situation there was temptation. Some fella said if I was up for it he could make a call to someone on the outside, and he'd get (drugs) to me by throwing it over the wall in the yard.

"But then a mate found out and said, 'If you give him any drugs I'll kick your head.' It was for the best. because I came out clean."

Barat adds, "Clean as a whistle. That's why we're going to France, so I can keep an eye on him. We're going to Paris, to Montmartre, which will be the soundtrack to the new Libertines album.

"We've got buckets of songs. It's like we've got a nest full of hungry beaks and we got all these songs to feed them."

And Doherty is extremely optimistic about the future of the band, which fractured earlier this year (03) as he descended into drug abuse.

Of his relationship with co-singer and songwriter Barat, he says, "We didn't see each other for so long. It seems like we were never apart really in a way - we're carrying on as normal."