Arrest leaves troubled Amy Winehouse so drained she collapses in a car

Slumped in the back of a people carrier, with her head lolling and sporting a matted beehive, the troubled star was taken home by a friend.

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Before her arrest the "screaming and sobbing" pop star had become so distressed psychiatrists were called in to calm her down

The hysterical singer broke down sobbing and psychiatrists and lawyers turned up at her home in nearby Bow to calm her down before she faced serious questions from the police in connection with the case.

At one point her date with police was almost postponed because she wasn't deemed mentally fit.

But the singer was eventually calm enough to be driven to the station by minders and was taken in via a back entrance at around 5.30pm.

Another report said that the police has been warned to "tread carefully" because of her brittle psychological state.

And that they had been trying to interview the elusive star since November, but she had so far been "unavailable".

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The singer arrived at Shoreditch Police Station in east London on Tuesday to be "arrested by appointment", before being formally interviewed, fingerprinted and DNA tested.

She was questioned for two-and-a quarter hours before being released on bail and escorted home by her mother Janis and father Mitch.

Then at 4am she was spotted out with pals in Camden.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "A 24-year-old woman has been bailed to return to an east London police station on a date in early March pending further inquiries."

It is understood that Amy was questioned over accusations that she was aware of a plan to derail the GBH case against her husband of seven months Blake Fielder-Civil.

Fielder-Civil, 25, is currently remanded in custody at Pentonville Prison in north London on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the assault case.

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He and Michael Brown are accused of assaulting James King, the landlord of Macbeths pub in Hoxton, east London, on June 20 last year.

It is alleged that they later conspired to pervert the course of justice by offering Mr King a significant amount of money - reported to be £200,000 plus £10,000 costs - to withdraw his allegation and flee to Spain until the case collapsed.

Two other men also facing the same charge are Anthony Kelly, 25, from Chalk Farm, north west London, and James King, 36, from Risley, Derbyshire.

All four have been remanded in custody until January 18 for a plea and directions hearing with a trial date pencilled in for June.

Fielder-Civil and Brown's trial was adjourned after they were accused of the conspiracy charge.

Winehouse cancelled her remaining UK tour dates following her husband's arrest after giving several shambolic performances.

The soul singer, who has battled drugs and depression, has insisted: "Blake has told me he's done nothing wrong and I believe him.

"Someone has set him up but whatever happens I'll be there for him."

Fielder-Civil's mum Georgette, 42, has also said: "He'd never try and fix his trial."

But investigating officers have now turned their attentions to Miss Winehouse.

Police have confiscated her mobile phone records, bank details and computer software which could provide evidence of the star's alleged involvement in the plot.

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They also visited the singer's accountants, the prestigious London-based firm Smallfield Cody, in an attempt to track all of her financial dealings.

What is known is that while Fielder-Civil has virtually no income as record industry gofer, his wife has amassed huge earnings from her award-winning yet fledgling career.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "A 24-year-old woman has been arrested by appointed at an east London police station.

"The arrest was in connection with an investigation into perverting the course of justice."

The arrest is the latest in a string of upsets for the troubled star who cancelled her tour following some erratic performances leading to fears about her health.

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A statement from the singer's company said the tour was being cancelled due to instructions from her doctor.

In October she and her husband were held overnight by police in Norway for possession of drugs.

The pair, who married in May, were arrested in Bergen during her European tour.

Her father Mitch also said in October that he was so concerned about his daughter he wrote a eulogy he expected to deliver at her funeral.

He said she had cut down on her drinking but was still battling with bulimia and drug addiction.

Winehouse was admitted to a London hospital in the summer and was said to have come close to death after taking cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and marijuana.

The singer then quit rehab for a second time, to the dismay of her parents.

Mr Winehouse said last night: "Amy's arrest has been planned for the past three weeks, so it's nothing new to any of us.

"It is all been arranged between Amy and the police. She was asked to attend the police station to be questioned and have her DNA taken to assist them with the investigation into Blake's charges.

"We have no complaint with how the police have handled the investigation or how they have treated Amy.

He added: "Maybe Amy will be charged, but at the moment I don't know any more than her being asked to attend the police station by appointment.

"My main concern is my daughter's welfare. She has family with her and is perfectly fine with helping the police.

"Obviously we'll have to wait and see what the police plan to do next but as for Amy being arrested, it is all above board and she is merely helping in any way she can."

Her father recently recently raised concerns about her friendship with the equally troubled singer Pete Doherty who he branded a "scumbag".

Mitch admits he was disgusted to see the Babyshambles frontman backstage at Amy's gig at Brixton Academy earlier this month.

It has been claimed that Mitch smacked Doherty and hit him with a guitar at the concert.

Speaking to Grazia magazine, Mitch said: "I do worry about people like Pete Doherty though. He's a scumbag.

"I flipped when I saw him sitting with Amy backstage at her Brixton gig. That night I went crazy.

"My wife thought I was going to have a heart attack, I was apoplectic..."

He also went on to talk about her marriage to Fielder-Civil andadmitted he had been impressed by Amy's husband attempt to clean-up since he was imprisoned last month.

Despite being against the whirlwind marriage earlier this year, Mitch says he respects Amy's choice of husband.

"I wasn't in favour of the marriage, but they are married and I will support them, and he's shown while he's been in prison a level of maturity that he didn't have before."