Richard Ashcroft Wants To Work With Kids

In an incident that would seem to put Richard Ashcroft somewhere amongst Pete Doherty, Michael Jackson and Gary Glitter, the allegedly drunk singer/songwriter was arrested on Monday night after barging into a British youth club and making demands to work with the teenagers at the site.

An article in British tabloid The Sun said that Ashcroft "appeared drunk and looked like a tramp as he began swearing and refusing to leave," according to witness reports.

"He was very strung out and close to tears at one point. He kept saying he wanted to work with kids, that he wanted to do 'good things.'

"He wasn't aggressive, in fact he was quite charming and friendly. He kept hugging some staff and kids."

Police were called to The Bridge club in Chippenham, Wiltshire, which is close to where the family of Ashcroft's wife Kate lives. The former Verve frontman argued with them before he was taken into custody for a few hours. He was given an 80-pound ($164) fixed penalty fine for disorderly behaviour and released after he calmed down.

There were about 60 young teens at the centre when the rocker arrived on the scene to announce that he would like to work with them. One of the women in charge told Ashcroft that he'd have to go through the proper channels before that would be permitted.

"It was surreal and we couldn't believe it at first," a witness told The Sun. "He looked like a tramp. He was dishevelled and unshaven, with filthy clothes, and there was saliva caked around his mouth."

Before Ashcroft sat on a sofa as kids gathered around to ask him if he was "really a rock star," the witness said that he "kept swearing and saying, 'I'm Richard, I'm going to be doing some youth work here. You'll be seeing a lot more of me. This is my first night.'"