Pete Doherty used to rush at photographers with a Victorian policeman’s cosh.

Pete Doherty used to rush at photographers with a Victorian policeman’s cosh

Pete Doherty used to rush at photographers with a Victorian policeman’s cosh

The former heroin addict, 44, who got in a bloody fight with an Italian paparazzi in 2006, also joked he used to carry a “Zulu spear” to ward off snappers at the height of his 1990s fame.

Referring to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s recent claim they were chased by paps through the streets of New York, he told The Daily Telegraph: “It did tickle my interest the other day to see Prince Harry in that weird, high-speed car chase through New York.”

He added his “simple advice” to the pair to ward off paps is: “Pay some skint local kids to attack the cars of the paparazzi.”

Pete went on: “That's always a good ’un to stop any chases. I used to have this old Victorian policeman’s cosh I used to charge at them. I miss it.

“I also had an old Zulu spear that came in handy a few times.”

As frontman of The Libertines and former boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss in the ’90s, Pete became tabloid fodder.

But he admitted his level of “recognition” has now faded and is more like “love” between him and fans.

Pete, who now lives a quiet life with his wife Katia de Vidas and their baby daughter in Normandy, said: “I’ve got a level of recognition that I don’t… I dunno… our connection to famous people is all about angles, isn’t it?

“You catch a glimpse of a complete stranger and you have the feeling you know them.

“Maybe that’s what falling in love is? Y’know. Maybe that’s what the fame industry’s all about.

“Trying to trick you into falling in love with someone who is probably a really terrible person.”

He then added he didn’t think that was had happened to him “at all”, laughing: “I don’t even know what I’m saying.”