Anderson petitions to ban bear pelt in busby

Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has sent a petition to the Queen urging her to stop the use of bear pelts in making the tall black helmets worn by palace guards.

The charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or Peta, said Anderson collected 200 signatures from fans in Britain and mailed the petition to Buckingham Palace. A palace spokeswoman refused to comment.

In her petition, the 37-year-old actress argued that synthetic materials should be used to make the hats worn by guards who patrol the palace gate. The towering black hat, or busby, dates back almost 200 years to the Battle of Waterloo.