Bobby Brown arrested in Atlanta

Bobby Brown was released from prison in January

Singer Bobby Brown has been arrested in Atlanta for violating his probation.

The 33-year-old singer was not supposed to leave the state of Georgia, but appeared on the American Music Awards programme in Los Angeles.

He was detained in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta on Friday night, while he was dining with his wife Whitney Houston.

Brown remained in custody on Saturday evening, a prison official said.

Brown was sentenced to eight days in jail in January and banned from driving for a year after pleading guilty to a drink-driving charge from 1996.

He faced further charges of failing to show proof of insurance, speeding and failing to maintain a lane while driving.

He was ordered to perform 240 hours of community service and pay about $2,600 (£1,607) in fines.

Friday's arrest was on the orders of a judge, for breaching bail conditions by appearing at the awards ceremony.

Problem past

Brown, whose hit songs include My Prerogative and Every Little Step, has a history of run-ins with the law dating back to his youth in Boston.

He was held in a Florida jail for 26 days in 2000 for violating probation in connection with an incident at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

During the same year, he pleaded "no contest" to charges of kicking a hotel security guard in West Hollywood, California.

In November he was arrested in Atlanta and charged with possessing less than an ounce (28 grams) of marijuana, speeding and having no driver's licence or proof of insurance.

Whitney Houston has admitted to a history of alcohol and drug abuse, including using cocaine and marijuana.