Sir Roger Moore has called for wild animal circuses to be banned from touring the UK

The 89-year-old actor - who is a committed animal rights advocate - has promised the Conservative leader that if she does finally put an end to the shows then he will join her for a toast to the outlawing of the circuses with a couple of bottles of vintage champagne.

In the piece, published in the Sunday People newspaper, he writes that other countries around the world have put an end to wild-animal circuses, while "ever-so-civilised, animal loving Britain still allows these archaic exhibitions simply because of a lack of action on the part of Downing Street ... Popular legislation to prohibit circuses from keeping tigers in see-through boxes called cages and carting them about the land has been dragging on for aeons, because the Prime Minister holds the key and won't give it up. Wilfully allowing such cruelty is unforgivable".

Making his offer to Mrs. May of sharing a celebratory drink with her, the ex-007 star added: "Madam Prime Minister, it's time - past time - to do the right thing by animals and the public and finally bring in a ban on this outdated form of so-called 'entertainment'. I will put a bottle of Dom Pérignon '52 or Bollinger '69 on ice for the occasion and gladly pop the cork with you!"

Moore follows the likes of Michael Sheen, Martin Freeman and former Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe in teaming up with PETA (PETA.org.uk) to raise awareness of the plight of animals in circuses - who spend most of their lives in cages and are stopped from engaging in their natural behaviours.