'Heroes' star in dolphin rescue attempt

Hayden Panettiere has attempted to rescue a pod of dolphins from being killed by Japanese fishermen.

The actress joined five other surfers in trying to block the animals from being driven into a cove for an annual slaughter.

However, the protesters were prevented from saving the creatures after fishermen blocked them with boat propellers and hit them with a boathook.

Speaking about the event, she told Sky News: "It was really frightening. Some of us were hit by the boathook. But in the end all we really worried about was the dolphins.

"It was so incredibly sad. We were so close to them and they were sky hopping, jumping out of the water to see us.

"One little baby dolphin stuck his head out and kinda looked at me and the thought that it's no longer with us is really hard to take."

The Heroes star is a keen marine conservationist and supporter of the campaign to save the Japanese dolphins.

The TV star has now returned to her LA home to avoid being arrested by the Japanese authorities for trespassing.