Sir Paul McCartney was refused permission to land his helicopter because he is a vegetarian.

The Beatles legend was planning a trip to his late first wife Linda's vegetarian food factory near Fakenham racecourse, but his request was rejected because he supported the ban against foxhunting.

Chief Executive David Hunter, a supporter of the West Norfolk Hunt, told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper: "The helicopter company would not tell me who their client was but, putting two and two together, I rang back and said, 'If it's Paul McCartney, tell him he's not welcome because of his views on hunting.' "I heard from them a few days later and they told me they'd be landing elsewhere."

Foxhunting was banned in Britain last year after an ongoing campaign by hunt supporters for the House of Lords to oppose the bill.

Meanwhile, 65-year-old Paul revealed music has helped him cope during his bitter divorce battle from second wife Heather Mills.

He said: "The last couple of years, I've been very glad to have my music and I've been putting stuff into it that seems to have added up to something. "I think one of the greatest things is that music is a great healer and it's a great sort of therapy."