Amy Winehouse: 'I'm off drugs'

Amy Winehouse has claimed that she has given up taking drugs - and is planning to record new material soon.

In an interview with News Of The World while on holiday in St. Lucia, the singer said she had given up illegal substances since the start of 2009.

"Before I came out here I looked at a photo of myself in the newspaper and was horrified," she said. "I thought to myself, 'Girl, you got to sort yourself out or you'll be dead soon.'"

"I was depressed, doing drugs and had no life in me at all. Home is hell for me. I've escaped from it. There are drugs everywhere. I can't do anything without everyone thinking I'm off my head on drugs, although half the time they were right, I was.

"But here I feel so calm and peaceful and for the first time I can definitely say I am off the drugs. I haven't touched anything since I arrived and I feel the best I have in years."

Winehouse went on to say that she wanted to begin recording new material soon. "All I've done is read books, sunbathe and drink cocktails," she said. "But it's made me feel like concentrating on my career again.

"Most nights I've done a few songs on the piano for a laugh but I'm starting to think about recording again. I want to capture how happy I am right now in some new songs."

The star's last album was the huge-selling 'Back To Black' in 2006.