Alice Newstead hung for 15 minutes from the de-barbed hooks to campaign against the practice of killing sharks to make soup from their fins.

She performed the stunt at Lush Cosmetics in Regent Street, London, where she was watched through the window by passers-by.

The company's campaign is backed by the wildlife conservation charity, Sea Shepherds.

Miss Newstead told the UK daily The Telegraph: "I am doing this because the demand for shark fin soup and other shark products is wiping out the shark population.

"I have had my torso, legs, arms, stomach and knees pierced before so that I could hang from them, so this is no big deal.

"Being hung from the chest is more painful than the back because it restricts your breathing, but as long as the piercer knows what they are doing then it is completely safe," she said.