French film star Brigitte Bardot has voiced her support for a campaign to ban hare coursing in Ireland, it emerged tonight.
The renowned sex symbol, who retired from acting in 1973, said she favoured the use of an artificial hare in coursing meetings instead.
She sent a letter to the Irish Council Against Blood Sports from her animal rights foundation. "Brigitte Bardot supports the banning of hare coursing and the use of an artificial lure instead," it said.
Ms Bardot, now 71, became an animal rights activist after retiring from acting. Through her 'Foundation Brigitte Bardot', she has opposed the killing of seals in Canada and the inhumane slaughter of livestock.
The Irish Council for Blood Sports (ICBS) said it welcomed her letter of support.
"It really is very encouraging for us and will help to intensify our campaign. We're hoping more celebrities will come forward," said spokesman Mr Phillip Kiernan.
The ICBS is planning to write to major rock stars, sports people and actors to ask for support. This will include a letter to U2, which signed its animal rights petition a decade ago.
Ms Bardot has attracted controversy in France for her support for the right-wing National Front party, led by Jean Marie-Le Pen. Last year, she convicted of inciting racial hatred for her remarks about French Muslims, which were contained in her best-selling book, A Cry In The Silence.
The ICBS has said hares were continuing to die from stress-related illnesses and maulings during coursing meetings. "We've been campaigning for a ban for a long time but we've been encouraged by the hunting ban in England. There's also been a temporary ban in Northern Ireland. They're all positive developments, said Mr Kiernan.
However, he said he was disgusted that Northern Ireland hunting clubs were now "hopping over the border" to take part in coursing meetings in Cavan and Donegal. More than 100 coursing meetings take place across Ireland each year.
The Government has said it will not change the 1976 Wildlife Act, which permits hare coursing. In reply to a Dáil question last month, the Minister for the Environment Mr Roche said there was "no evidence that hare coursing in Ireland adversely impacts on the conservation of hare populations and there are no proposals to change existing arrangements for the licensed netting of wild hares for live hare coursing."
PA