Heather's mission to drive out the herds (cows and paparazzi)

Most vegetarians would prefer to avoid the sight or smell of a juicy steak.

Heather Mills is a little stricter in her approach - and can't even look at meat while it's still mooing.

At least, that is the reason she gave for trying to buy the fields adjoining her new £3 million home.

Miss Mills, a spokesman for animal rights, told the farmer who owns the land that she couldn't bear to look out over fields filled with cows destined for slaughter.

John and Barbara Smith have been approached twice in the last month by the former model's aides.

Their 160 acres is home to Devon-born heifers, which can wander almost into the back garden of Miss Mills's nine-bedroom house.

Mr Smith, 70, a former city lawyer, said: "(Heather's aide) came over to me and asked whether I would be prepared to sell my land. No price has been discussed yet."

Mrs Smith added: "We were told that initially she didn't like looking at the cows on our land because she is a vegetarian."

Coincidentally, the land has a public footpath through it, and the owner would be able to prosecute anyone who strayed from it and walked, say, over towards the Mills mansion.

Those who live in the area believe that her fear of the paparazzi has a little more to do with her offer than a love of cows.

"This is clearly all about her privacy," said one resident. "From the public footpath it's possible to see into her property." Miss Mills, who is in the process of divorcing Sir Paul McCartney, is known to be concerned about the privacy and security of herself and the couple's daughter Beatrice.

Whatever her reasons, she appears particularly keen to buy.

Mr Smith, however, is not equally as keen to sell.

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"I said first of all I don't want to sell. I have now indicated that I would be prepared to talk about it but that's all," he said. "I don't know if I am interested in anything at the moment.

"Even if she managed to buy it, she could not move the footpath because you can't close a public footpath."

Miss Mills's lawyers have requested that the location of her home not be revealed.

Local residents, whose names are not reported in accordance with these wishes, are less than enthusiastic about her arrival.

The local butcher said: 'She's not a favourite of mine - I much prefer Paul. I just hope she's not going to be too pushy with her campaigns over here because she'll have a tough time fitting in.

"I think she's already known as the lady with the wooden leg because a lady came into my shop the other day saying 'I heard the lady with the wooden leg is going to be living here'." Another female resident said: "I do not want her here. I am a born and bred local and I don't want people like her moving in. She'll change the village for the worse.

"She's trying to make herself into too much of a Diana.

"If she came in here (the local pub) for a quick drink I would completely ignore her."

The local florist said of the media interest: "It will be a nightmare."

Miss Mills, who is to earn £ 70 million from the divorce, bought her property in the Home Counties in the last month.

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She also recently bought a holiday home in Slovenia.

But she is heading for a chilly welcome there too.

Villager Miro Bokan was reported as saying: "We will get no peace. Everyone is against it. People used to come here to enjoy the unspoilt countryside but now it will all be different."