LONDON - Ronnie Wood has entered rehab to combat an alcohol problem, his spokeswoman said Wednesday, after the Rolling Stones guitarist ran off with a teenage Russian cocktail waitress.

Wood, 61, went to his home in Ireland with 19-year-old Ekaterina Ivanova, prompting a storm of front-page stories in British tabloid newspapers over the past week.

The rock star flew home Tuesday.

"Following Ronnie's continued battle with alcohol he has entered a period of rehab," the spokeswoman said. "His close family and friends say he is seeking help and look forward to his recovery."

Former model Jo Wood, 53, the musician's wife of 23 years, told The Sun newspaper of her husband going to Ireland with Ivanova: "Ronnie told me she was staying there and I said: 'OK - get on with it and have a drink, go mad. Drink your guts up'."

The Rolling Stones, who played their first gig back in 1962, are still one of the biggest-grossing live acts in the world.

Wood, who played with the Faces before officially joining the Stones in 1976, is also a respected painter and artist. - AFP/ra