2005 pete doherty
Pictured here in 2005 during one of his many run ins with the law is Libertines front man Pete Doherty. His prison diaries from his 2003 incarceration are now on sale at a Chelsea rare book shop. Reuters

The prison diaries of singer Pete Doherty, the lead singer of The Libertines, are up for sale at a rare book shop in Chelsea, along with a notebook belonging to the troubled singer.

Written in Wandsworth Prison after he was jailed for six months for breaking into bandmate Carl Barat's flat and stealing belongings, the 33-page handwritten musings, includes notes, lyrics and pictures from his time behind bars.

Drawings, including one of two prisoners sharing a cell captioned: "I Love Heroin" as excerpts and drafts of his proposed autobiographical novel, "Lonely Villein".

Doherty disappointed fans on Thursday 10 September, when he failed to show up for a gig at London's Electric Ballroom, which was timed to coincide with the release their third album "Anthems For Doomed Youth".

Fans were left waiting for almost three hours before they were told the show was going to be postponed. A spokesman told the crowd that "an emergency, a medical situation", had caused the cancellation, while the band blamed "unforeseen circumstances" on their Facebook page.

It followed a bizarre performance on Sky's Soccer AM, where Doherty, a die hard Queens Park Rangers fan serenaded the club's bemused star striker Charlie Austin. The sound had to be muted several times as the musician spoke during his appearance.

It has prompted fears among some fans that his struggle with heroin addiction had resurfaced.

After a series of run-ins with the law, including more jail time in 2008, Doherty disappeared from the public eye and sought help at a drug rehabilitation centre in Thailand. It was announced in January that he had successfully completed his treatment there.

The 2003 prison journal is nonetheless "extremely interesting" according to Pom Harrington of the Peter Harrington rare bookshop in Chelsea, where it is on sale for £4,250, alongside another notebook belonging to the singer.

Written by various people, although mostly by Doherty, the notebook contains lyrics and chords from Libertines tracks, The Ha Ha Wall and their most famous track, "Don't Look Back Into The Sun."

Produced between 2002 and 2003, it also contains messages from fans, along with clippings and photos of Doherty and concert security wrist bands. It is priced slightly higher at £4,750.