Pete Doherty was finally sent to prison today for repeatedly breaching a probation order requiring him to stop taking drugs and attend rehab sessions.

The troubled Babyshambles frontman, 29, had been given a suspended prison sentence in October last year for possession of drugs and driving illegally.

His supervision order required him to visit court frequently to give progress reports as well take part in a rehabilitation programme.

However, at West London Magistrates Court in Ealing, Judge Davinder Lachar heard that Doherty had repeatedly failed to attend the required sessions.

A spokesperson for the court said that Doherty had been jailed for "breach of time keeping, non-compliance of his order and using different drugs".

After being sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, Doherty was handcuffed and left in a prison van. His sentence menns he has been forced to postpone a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, scheduled for April 26.

A statement from the singer’s record company, Parlophone Records, said: "Today, Peter Doherty was sentenced to a total of 14 weeks in jail for being in breach of his probation order.

"Unfortunately Peter has had to postpone his show at the Royal Albert Hall on April 26. The show is due to be rescheduled and all tickets will be valid for the new date once it has been announced.

"Peter was very much looking forward to the show and would like to offer his sincerest apologies to all his fans and to all those concerned."

The prison sentence is the latest in a series of legal scrapes which Doherty has been involved in, almost all of which relate to drugs, and many of which had seen him narrowly escape prison over the last few years.

Most recently, in October last year, Doherty was given a suspended jail sentence by West London magistrates for possession of crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis, and motoring offences. The four-month custodial sentence handed down by the judge was suspended for two years.

In addition, he was also handed an 18-month supervision order and a 12-month drug rehabilitation order.

Last December, Amy Winehouse's father branded the singer a "scumbag" after spotting his daughter out on the town with him.

Mitch Winehouse reportedly attacked Doherty with a guitar after spotting his daughter and the rocker backstage.

He told the Grazia magazine that Doherty's use of drugs meant he was a bad influence on Winehouse, who herself has highly-publicised problems with drink and drugs.

A spokesman for Doherty today said that he was looking into grounds for appeal.

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