Ronnie Wood's new autobiography sees him recall the day Rolling Stones pal Keith Richards pulled a gun on him.

The bassist tells how Richards was angry after discovering him smoking purified cocaine.

"After a row with Keith one day, he stormed off to get his gun. I warned everyone to 'clear the decks'," he writes. "Keith came back with his Derringer, pointed it at me and yelled, 'You f****** b****** Woody!'

"But I had my own gun, a .44 Magnum. I didn't have any bullets for it but I calmly pulled it out. And that was the last time Keith pulled a gun on me... until the next time."

Wood, whose new book Ronnie is currently being serialised in the Mail on Sunday, joined the Rolling Stones in 1975.

The book sees him cast light onto the world of superstardom and excess in which he found himself.

Instances include snorting cocaine off the dashboard of his white Rolls-Royce after his wedding, and smoking heroin with John Lennon.