Star wants her name removed from celeb-loved Birkin crocodile bag

Jane Birkin has asked luxury fashion brand Hermès to take her name off its iconic crocodile bag.

The actress and singer, who was the inspiration behind the first Birkin bag in the 1980s, has asked the brand to remove her moniker after seeing a report about the "cruel" treatment of crocodiles.

The Birkin bag is favoured by celebrities and can fetch between £6,700 and £145,000, depending on the style.

The 68-year-old star issued a statement saying: "Having been alerted to the cruel practices endured by crocodiles during their slaughter for the production of Hermès bags carrying my name, I have asked Hermès Group to rename the Birkin until better practices responding to international norms can be implemented for the production of this bag."

The Birkin bag made out of crocodile skin has been the subject of a recent report by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which claimed a crocodile a farm in Texas used by Hermès crams the animals into concrete pits before they are "crudely hacked" to death.

Investigation is under way

The campaign group also claimed it takes two to three crocodiles to make just one Birkin bag.

However, Hermès insisted that the farm featured in the investigation does not belong to them, reports the Daily Mirror.

PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk said: "PETA, on behalf of all kind souls in the world, thanks Ms Birkin for ending her association with Hermès, which makes grotesque handbags that were revealed in a PETA expose to be constructed from the skins of factory-farmed and cruelly slaughtered crocodiles.

"We call on Hermès to stop plundering wildlife, factory-farming crocodiles and alligators and slaughtering them for their skins."

A Hermès statement said: "An investigation is under way at the Texas farm which was implicated in the video."