CONTROVERSIAL rock star Pete Doherty is to play a solo gig in York weeks after cancelling a show in the city at the last minute.

Hundreds of fans were left disappointed when the singer-songwriter called off a performance by his band Babyshambles at The Duchess last month only hours before they were due on stage.

But the 31-year-old has now confirmed he will appear as a solo artist at the Stonebow venue on Tuesday, with tickets going on sale today.

If the show hits no late snags this time, it will be the third time Doherty, whose musical exploits and critical acclaim have been matched by the tabloid attention he has received over his drug-taking and relationship with supermodel Kate Moss, has appeared in York.

He played Fibbers with his former band The Libertines in 2002 and Babyshambles in 2004.

He was due to perform at The Duchess on April 1, with the 400 tickets for the performance being snapped up within 90 minutes of going on sale,.

But the gig was called off hours beforehand due to “illness” and fans who were due to attend were subsequently given full refunds.

“It will be really good to have him back,” said Duchess manager James Feakes. “I’ve seen him both as a solo artist and with Babyshambles and they have both been great gigs, so it’s the sort of show we really want to see here and we’re very glad he has been able to fit in a performance here.”

Tickets for Doherty’s solo show next Tuesday are now on sale from theduchessyork.co.uk, costing £18.50 plus booking fee. Due to the short timeframe between the announcement and performance, there will be no sales on the door and all those attending must be 16 or over. Doors open at 7.30pm.