YORK-born Dame Judi Dench has backed a tree-climbing eco-warrior camping out up a 100-year-old tree to stop it from being chopped down.

The world famous actor has signed a petition to save the black poplar in York Road, Battersea, south London, which is currently occupied by Extinction Rebellion activists.

The protest was launched at dawn on February 22 to stop a planned redevelopment of the Winstanley and York Road estates by Wandsworth Council and developer Taylor Wimpey.

The project will mean the felling 124 of 173 trees, mostly large mature and semi-mature.

The black poplar is set to be cut down to make way for a power cable.

In an attempt to stop the felling, an activist, named only as Bradley by the organisation, is camping in the tree accompanied by a cuddly koala toy.

Signing the petition, Dame Judi Dench said: “Why cut a 100-year-old tree down when there is an alternative to go round it?? Are we not all aware now just how important trees are??

“I find myself making appeals like this every day, surely we know better!”

This isn’t the first time the performer, who has played both Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, has backed a similar campaign.

She last month she joined campaigners’ legal fight to take a council to the High Court to save ‘the East End’s oldest tree’.

The more than 400-year-old Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree has survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and attacks by German bombers during the Blitz of the Second World War.

The dame was joined by Stephen Moss, ornithologist and BAFTA award winning television producer of programmes including BBC’s Springwatch, who said it was “irresponsible” of the council to plan to fell a healthy tree during nesting season.