Sting and Styler defend rainforest charity

Sting's wife Trudie Styler has defended the rocker's rainforest charity, after it was accused of hoarding money raised at a 2006 concert.

Newspaper reports claimed only 41% of the funds raised at a starstudded concert at New York's Carnegie Hall were spent on saving trees.

The New York Post also claimed the Rainforest Foundation was rated one of the worst causes by watchdog Charity Navigator.

Charity co-founder, Belgian photographer Jean Pierre Dutilleux, recently joined the attack and is quoted on blog PerezHilton.com as saying: "I have kept quiet for almost 20 years, hoping for improvement. But enough is enough. Everything is true or worse."

But Styler has hit back at the reports, claiming the figures are misleading.

She says: "The Rainforest Foundation is celebrating its 20th year. We wouldn't still be in business or have given out millions of dollars over the years if we'd spent everything we made immediately after it came in."

The latest Rainforest Foundation concert will take place in New York this month with Billy Joel, James Taylor and Brian Wilson headlining.