A Sussex animal rights activist stormed the Paris Fashion Show to protest against top designers using fur in their collections.

Penny Dawson, 28, from Brighton, broke through tight security and jumped on to the catwalk at the Jean Paul Gaultier show yesterday holding a placard which read "Fur Kills".

Ms Dawson also climbed on to the catwalk during the Versace show on Saturday waving a banner and shouting "End fashion bloodshed".

Her actions were applauded by some members of the celebrity audience including pop star Boy George who said "Good on you, girl" after she was bundled off stage by security staff.

Ms Dawson, a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was among several activists who invaded catwalks during the Paris haute couture shows over the weekend.

She said: "After decades of leafleting and writing letters, sometimes a polite word doesn't do it. Millions of animals suffer on fur farms and in leg hold traps in the wild. The cruelty of the fur pushers must end."

Fur is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, with many big-name designers using it in their collections.

Madonna recently provoked controversy when she was seen wearing a £1,000 fox fur hat by Philip Treacy.

Some designers still refuse to use fur on ethical grounds, including Calvin Klein and Madonna's close friend Stella McCartney.

PETA is known for its campaign "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" which featured super-models.

Dawn Carr, PETA's European campaigns manager, said: "This sort of action sends out a very strong message that people are fed up about cruelty in fashion and we got a good reaction."