Pitt backs contest to rebuild New Orleans

Brad Pitt is financially backing an eco-friendly design competition to rebuild the areas of New Orleans, Louisiana, which were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina last year.

The screen star is collaborating with environmental organisation Global Green USA for the project, and he will lead a panel of experts to pick the design which he hopes will whip New Orleans back to its former glory.

He says: "Our goal is to kick off the rebuilding effort. It's certainly long overdue and I can only go from the reports that we get that it's behind, absolutely. People are frustrated.

"We could possibly build something that was better and took into account the historical traditions of the city and the voices of the people and turn this into some kind of good."