Actress Anjelica Huston has joined the fight to ban horse-drawn carriage rides around New York City, branding the practise a "cruel and dangerous tourist trap".

The Addams Family star, who has been filming new TV show Smash in Manhattan, has teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to write a letter to City Councilwoman Christine Quinn.

In the note, Huston urges Quinn to back legislation to phase out the carriages and replace them with classic cars.

She writes, "It's surprising to me that a city known for its progressive spirit still allows this cruel and dangerous tourist trap.

"Several accidents over the past few months highlight the immense safety hazard and lack of regulation of this industry. At the end of 2011, within just a couple of weeks, two horses collapsed in the middle of traffic and one nearly hit several taxis on 59th Street."

Other celebrities who support the initiative include Glee's Lea Michele, who threatened to quit her home town over the issue, and vocal animal rights campaigner Pamela Anderson.