Revealed: The shocking video images which show the cruelty behind the Army's bearskin hats

The Campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released covertly gathered images, which they say show bears in Canada being lured with food and shot "in cold blood", leaving their cubs orphaned.

The group called for an end to the 200-year-old tradition of wearing bearskin hats at ceremonies such as Trooping the Colour and the Changing of the Guard.

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Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe backed the campaign and called on the Ministry of Defence to phase out real bearskin and replace it with high-quality fake fur.

Miss Widdecombe said: "They shoot mothers regardless of whether she has got cubs; sometimes they shoot and don't kill them outright and they die a long, lingering death."

"It's high time we ended our war against these beautiful animals - bears have no defence against hunters and this investigation highlights how urgent it is for the Government to go fake for the bears' sake."

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Miss Widdecombe, who won PETA Europe's 2006 Person of the Year award for her work to end the use of bearskins in ceremonial headpieces, is one of a long list of high-profile supporters of the campaign.

Lucy Davis, of The Office fame, posed naked except for a teddy bear in an advertising campaign for PETA last year.

Pamela Anderson, Sadie Frost, Mary McCartney, Julian Clary, Sir Roger Moore, Jilly Cooper and Amanda Holden have also all spoken out against the killing of black bears for ceremonial headpieces.

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A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "The MoD appreciates how strongly many people feel about this issue.

"Some alternatives to real fur are already in use by the Royal Artillery and others, and we are in discussions with PETA to identify an improved fake fur.

"A lightweight synthetic alternative has not as yet emerged which keeps its appearance and shape in all weather conditions.

"Wherever possible, we try to refurbish existing hats, and have not bought any new bearskin hats since 2005.

"All the pelts we do buy come from reputable dealers."

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Miss Widdecombe said the MoD needs a supply of around 50 hats a year, although the Ministry said it had relied on the refurbishment of bearskin caps since 2005.

In the past five years the MoD has spent almost £300,000 on bearskin hats, £164,000 on new caps and £131,000 on refurbishing old ones.