Oops, Pete Doherty did it again.

Seriously.

The Babyshambles singer was arrested today in East London on suspicion of drug possession, just hours after a court appearance in which he avoided a jail term for a prior drug offense.

The former Libertines singer, 27, was taken into custody alongside another man by plainclothes officers, Scotland Yard said.

"A 27-year-old man and a 21-year-old man were arrested after a vehicle was stopped in Roman Road, E2, by plain clothed officers who were carrying out a patrol in an unmarked police car," a Scotland Yard spokesman told BBC News.

The two men were in custody on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

The arrest came just hours after Doherty emerged from a London courthouse having avoided another jail term for charges related to a series of drug charges.

Just hours before the arrest, Doherty had appeared in court and admitted seven charges of possessing drugs.

A magistrate had sentenced Doherty to two years' probation and banned him from driving for six months, but the self-confessed cocaine addict was again spared a term in jail. He was also ordered to undergo an 18-month narcotics rehabilitation program.

The sentence related to two arrests in December and January. On both occasions he was caught in possession of small amounts of illegal drugs including heroin, crack cocaine, and cannabis.

"It's going to be a long and slow process, but you are showing significant signs of compliance and effort," the judge told Doherty in court this morning, according to Reuters.

He is due to appear in court again in that matter on May 31.

When he left the courtroom, Doherty, wearing a black leather jacket and striped shirt, was met by around 30 photographers before leaving in a taxi.

A tabloid favorite for his on-off affair with supermodel Kate Moss and a public battle with drugs, the 27-year-old Doherty has been unable to keep himself out of trouble for several months and has become the subject of intense scrutiny from both police and the media.

In February, the Babyshambles lead singer was given a 12-month community service order for seven separate drug-related charges.

Last week he failed to turn up in court for a review of his rehabilitation program, and after another court appearance in March, he kicked a reporter's microphone.

Media interest in Doherty's affair with Moss reached a climax last year, when she was captured on camera apparently taking large quantities of cocaine in a London studio where he was recording.

Several fashion houses and retailers severed ties with the mother of one, who has since started to rebuild her career.

Speculation over the couple's relationship continues despite reports they have split up.