Fashion designer Stella McCartney's new animal rights campaign has gone virtual as she is stages an anti-fur protest in cult online world Second Life.

Stella is teaming with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for the world's first virtual anti-fur protest next month on a new island dubbed - a Stella McCartney/PETA World - which features an English countryside, tree houses, picnic tables and Linda McCartney mini veggie burger stalls.

She says, "Sometimes it's nice to have a bit of humour on serious subjects."

Second Life is an internet based virtual world that started in 2003.

Stella caused outrage in March when she spoke out about fur in the fashion industry.

The outburst came as the sale of fur hits $965 million and is being endorsed by stars such as Kate Moss and Kiera Knightley.

She has always been proud that her Stella McCartney label is completely fur free.

She says, "In many ways, this industry is truly ugly and deeply shallow. Don't get me wrong: I'm no angel, but I do always try to ensure that anything I put my name to is carried out with an ethical awareness. "And I'm proud to be able to say with 100 per cent that not one single animal product is used to create any one of my designs."

Stella has hit out at Jean-Paul Gautier, Julien McDonald and Alexander McQueen in particular as they continue to use on the catwalk.

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