Rock star Pete Doherty has appeared in court to face a drugs charge. The Babyshambles frontman was arrested after police investigated the suspected overdose death of heiress Robin Whitehead.

The 27-year-old film-maker spent the last 10 days of her life creating a documentary about Mr Doherty.

Her film, The Road To Albion, focused on Mr Doherty’s former band, The Libertines.

Mr Doherty, 31, of Durley, Marlborough, Wiltshire, said he was “shocked and saddened” following Miss Whitehead’s death on January 24 last year.

Ms Whitehead, also known as Robyn, was the granddaughter of the late Teddy Goldsmith, founder of The Ecologist magazine.

Her mother, Dido Whitehead, is a cousin of Jemima Khan and Zac Goldsmith and her father is 1960s film-maker Peter Whitehead. Mr Doherty denied one count of possession of cocaine.

Wearing a black coat, waistcoat and trousers and a white shirt, Mr Doherty faced a crowd of photographers as he arrived at Thames Magistrates’ Court in east London.

He appeared in the dock alongside two friends for a brief committal hearing.

Alan Wass, 29, of Bramley Road, west London, was also charged with cocaine possession.

Peter Wolfe, 42, of Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent, is accused of two counts of possession of cocaine and one count of supplying cocaine to Miss Whitehead. They deny the charges.

District Judge Jacqueline Comyns committed the case to Snaresbrook Crown Court on March 29.

Following the hearing, which lasted less than five minutes, Mr Doherty posed with fans as he left the building. All three men were granted bail.