Keith Richards claims he was targeted by British government

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has claimed that the British Government, in late 60s, was determined to punish the band.

In a candid new memoir, Keith has said that he was 'targeted by the British government' when he was famously put on trial for drugs offences in 1967 and he along with frontman Mick Jagger was jailed after police raided Richards' country mansion to search for drugs.

”We'd become the focal point of a nervous Establishment. There's two ways the authorities can deal with a perceived challenge. One is to absorb and the other is to nail. They had to leave the Beatles alone because they had already given them medals,” the Scotsman quoted Richards as saying in his new book.

"We got the nail. It was more serious than I thought. I was in jail because I'd obviously p***** off the authorities. I'm a guitar player in a pop band and I'm being targeted by the British government and its vicious police force, all of which shows me how frightened they are,” he added.

After he was found guilty, Richards was jailed for a year whereas Jagger was given three months’ imprisonment.

However, both were freed the next day pending appeal, in which Richards’ conviction was revoked and Jagger had his sentenced quashed.