Jane Horrocks has given householders tips on water saving as part of an initiative to make London more eco-friendly.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has called on the support of a host of celebrities, including Vivienne Westwood, Richard E Grant and Gary Lineker, to back the campaign, which will encourage residents to give their own ideas on energy and water-saving techniques.

Little Voice and Absolutely Fabulous star Horrocks pointed out that environmental benefits of drying clothes using traditional methods, rather than wasting power, water and money by tumble-drying them.

"Invest in a washing line or a whirligig and peg your washing outside inside of putting it in the tumble dryer," she urged.

The actress added that she waters her plants using rain collected in a water butt in her garden.

"All the bits of pond life it collects fascinates the kids," she said.

Under Boris Johnson's pledges, the capital must cut its carbon footprint by 60 per cent over the next 15 years.