A source is reported to have said: "Paul was offered a Lexus as a gift and ordered the hybrid limo because it helps to reduce emissions.

"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."

Carbon offsetting firm CO2balance.com said the plane journey would have caused a carbon footprint of 38,050kg, compared to 397kg for a three-week boat journey.

A carbon footprint is the measure of the impact that human activity has on the environment and is measured in units of carbon dioxide.

Co2balance.com Director Mike Rigby said: "That is the equivalent of driving the car around the world six times."

Former Beatle Ringo Starr was seen making his daily contribution to the planet by riding the bus, as he did yesterday, and the day before....and the day before that.