Vivienne Westwood - Westwood Backs Appeal To Save Trees

The style icon has branded the scheme "stupid" and offered her signature to a letter by the Save England's Forests campaign over concerns about conservation.

She tells Britain's The Times Magazine, "It's bare-faced cheek. It's ridiculous. They should get a life. Trees save lives. That's it... We all know governments just want to keep their jobs."

Dame Vivienne reveals she loved walking through England's Peak District in her youth, although she no longer heads out to the countryside.

She adds, "I'm too busy to go walking in the woods. I hardly ever do it. But I certainly want to know it's there. People were very shocked when their water was somehow or other owned by a French company. The forest is a more emotional thing. It's like taking away your heritage."