Hynde asks Spain to free ship

Hynde has a history of supporting Greenpeace

Rock singer Chrissie Hynde has asked the Spanish Government to free Greenpeace's flagship the Rainbow Warrior, which has been impounded by authorities.

Hynde read out a statement of protest on board the ship in Valencia, scene of a concert on Tuesday night by her band The Pretenders.

The Rainbow Warrior was impounded after Greenpeace activists chained themselves to a cargo ship at the port last month to try to block the import of timber from Cameroon's rainforests.

Greenpeace says the timber is illegal and destructively logged.

The Spanish Government has ordered Greenpeace to post a bond of 300,000 Euros (£207,000) for the ship to be released.

Speaking on Wednesday in Valencia harbour, Hynde - an outspoken Greenpeace supporter - said: "Globally, we lose an area of ancient forest twice the size of this city every day.

"Yet the Spanish Government is more interested in persecuting the protesters, than the companies importing illegally logged wood."