The world is in collective shock at the news that Paul McCartney's gloriously green new LS600h - a gift from Lexus, no less - was flown some 7,000 miles from Japan to the UK, generating the same amount of CO2 as driving the hybrid limo six times around the world. You'll have spotted the hypocrisy here.

Sir Paul, it must be noted, is said to know nothing of the method of delivery.

"Paul was offered a Lexus as a gift and ordered the hybrid limo because it helps to reduce emissions," a source told the Daily Mirror.

"He'll be horrified after learning it was delivered by plane. Paul has always campaigned for green issues and he can't understand why anyone would send an enormous car from Japan to Britain on a plane."

Nonetheless, Sir Paul, we have to ask: with your evident green concern, might you not have turned down Lexus's kind offer of a free car and perhaps opted for something a bit smaller, greener and local? A nice British-built diesel Qashqai, perhaps?

Then again, if you use the LS to mow down that pesky giant cow, you'll probably even out your carbon footprint...