Socialite Paris Hilton is spearheading a campaign to stop a herd of elephants killing themselves - after bingeing on alcohol.

The hotel heiress was horrified to discover 40 of the animals were electrocuted after drinking rice-beer, which is brewed by locals in north-east India.

And Hilton is now urging Indian residents to lock up their booze.

She says, "There would have been more causalities if the villagers hadn't chased them away. And four elephants died in a similar way three years ago. It is just so sad."

"The biggest problems are in Assam and Meghalaya. The elephants get drunk all the time."

"It is becoming really dangerous. We need to stop making alcohol available to them."