THE LIBERTINES - THE LIBERTINES TO SPLIT?

British rockers THE LIBERTINES look like being on the verge of splitting up, after guitarist PETE DOHERTY expressed his dissatisfaction with bandmate CARL BARAT online.

Doherty - who has a solo single with WOLFMAN, FOR LOVERS, released next month (APR04) - wrote his message on the website of his side-project BABYSHAMBLES.

The Libertines have a history of inhouse bust-ups, not least when Doherty was jailed last year (03) for burgling Barat's flat in a drug-induced frenzy.

A disillusioned Doherty writes, "Are we making an album? Either way I'm gonna make some records this year.

"Timeless boohooing about BIGGLES (Barat) not being my mate. Never does 'owt (nothing) to reach out to me, loves me but doesn't like me.

"The one true horror is that if I was to be true to myself as an artist, as a man, as a Libertine, I would not work with the band as it stands anymore.

"The release and liberty of the other path, ie, Babyshambles, Peter Doherty solo or whatever is immense I can feel it from this side like barbed wire, like in the cell in Wanno (WANDSWORTH PRISON, London) last year (03). Like a weight oiff (off) me poor bony old shoulders.

"I need to speak to the boys before I go nuts. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe they know how I feel but are holding out at whatever cost.

"We have a good thing going etc etc, but f*** 'em, he's a difficult man to love and he gives me nothing. I go through each day and am twisting up, when I finally, fully unwind it will be furious, disastrous, dangerous, spectacular."

The Libertines recently finished a hugely successful British tour and are due to play an anti-racism charity gig in London tonight (16MAR04).