Danish actress Brigitte Nielsen is urging politicians in her home country to ban the country's military from shooting live animals as part of battlefield training.

Officials at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) recently revealed shocking photographs of pigs being gunned down to cause wounds for medics to practice operating on.

Rocky Iv star Nielsen was so disgusted by the images that she has written to the country's Minister of Defence Nicolai Wammen urging him to step in and end the barbaric training regime.

In the note, sent via Peta, she writes, "I am a proud Dane, but like most people around the world, I was deeply shocked to learn that my country's army still uses live animals in military training exercises.

"I find it hard to believe that Denmark continues to torture and mutilate animals when humane alternatives exist and are used by 23 other Nato nations, including 20 Eu states. The choice is not between saving animals and saving human beings: life-like human simulators and other high-tech non-animal training methods have been shown to be more effective at preparing soldiers for battle than crudely mutilating animals...

"Please stop making our noble military shoot, stab and mutilate animals in these exercises. Treating animals in this way is impossible to justify medically, ethically or educationally and does immense damage to Denmark's international reputation."