British pop singer George Michael was arrested by police, for possession of illegal drugs, in a public toilet in the north London suburb of Hampstead, on Friday afternoon. Michael, 45, was arrested on a tip from a lavatory attendant after he was found using crack cocaine and cannabis, according to the Sunday People newspaper.

He was taken to a North London police station, but was released after being given a cautionary warning and he accepted responsibility for carrying the drugs. The arrest of a 45-year-old man in north London was confirmed by the Metropolitan Police for possession of class A and class C drugs.  A spokesperson for Scotland Yard told the Telegraph "The caution was [issued] for the possession of Class A and Class C drugs, cocaine and cannabis. He was released and no further action will be taken."

In a statement issued through his publicist, Michael said, "I want to apologize to my fans for screwing up again, and to promise them I'll sort myself out. And to say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them."

This is not the first time that the multi millionaire singer has been arrested for his recreational drug use. In 1998, he was arrested outside the men's room at the Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills, California, and charged with "engaging in a lewd act," a charge he pleaded no contest to and performed 80 hours of community service. He also ended years of speculation about his sexuality by announcing he was gay after his arrest.

In February 2006 Michael was banned from driving for two years and sentenced to100 hours of community service after he was found slumped over the wheel of his car in London and admitted to driving while unfit due to drugs.

In May of the same year, he was found passed out in a vehicle by a member of the public and drove off when awoken, hitting  a traffic divider. He was found unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz, in October of 2006, taken to the hospital and then charged with possession of marijuana.

Last year in an interview on BBC radio, Michael discussed his drug problems, saying he was aware that he smoked too much marijuana and was trying to reduce his consumption. Michael blamed his addiction to prescription drugs, on a "self-destructive" impulse brought on by the death of his mother a decade ago.

"In a strange way I've spent the last 15 to 20 years trying to derail my own career, but it never seems to suffer," he said. "I suffer like crazy. I've suffered bereavements and public humiliations, but my career always seems to right itself like a plastic duck in the bath."

The former lead singer with 1980s band Wham! Michael has sold nearly 100 million records, with a fan base spread across the globe. His hits such as "Careless Whisper" and "Faith" have made him a multi millionaire estimated to be worth as much as $200 million.

Michael has signed up for a no-holds-barred autobiography. He concluded a two year tour in August this year with two performances in London's Earls Court, hinting that he may not tour any more.