The Babyshambles frontman was due to play a hastily-arranged gig at The Cluny in Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, last night.

He was in the north-east to attend the funeral wake of Jarrow teenager Daniel Squires, and the show was booked in mid-afternoon.

Music website NME.com is running a story today in which quotes are attributed to Doherty, where he states that the gig was a hoax, and that he knew nothing about it.

But The Cluny - keen to defend its reputation and ward off criticism from the 200 disappointed fans who turned up - has put the record straight.

A spokesman said: "We were contacted at 2pm yesterday by Pete's booking agent, Matt Bates of Primary Talent International, who had been instructed by Pete to book a show for him that night, as he was in the area.

"We agreed to this, on the condition that we would get a 100 per cent guarantee that the gig would definitely go ahead, along with an official contract.

"This was sent through, and we began the frantic process of advertising the gig within a very short space of time.

"It was not until after 6.30pm that we finally got in touch with Pete's manager, who claimed to know nothing about the gig.

"At this point we stopped selling tickets, and began the process of informing customers we were unsure whether the gig would go ahead.

"Pete's quotes to NME imply that it was all a ruse on our part – this could not be further from the truth.

"We wish to strenuously defend our hard-earned and well-deserved reputation as one of the best small venues in the north east of England."

Management at The Cluny even took the unusual step of posting copies of the contract agreed with Doherty's agent around the venue last night, and sending it out to journalists this afternoon.

Among the disappointed fans was Keir Waugh, 23, of South Shields, who said: "Pete showed his compassionate side by attending the lad's wake, spending ages giving autographs and posing for pictures.

"Then he goes and does something like this. It would have been a really special gig, but I don't think anyone was surprised when he didn't show up.

"People will have taken time off work or uni to go to get tickets for the gig, which sold out really fast. For this to happen is just sad."