British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has died aged 81.

File footage shows Westwood, who made her name in the UK punk movement in the 1970s, suspended in a giant birdcage outside the Old Bailey in London in July, 2020 as part of a protest in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who at the time was fighting extradition to the US.

++PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS SWEARING++

Dame Vivienne Westwood claimed "the world is corrupt" as she was suspended in a giant birdcage outside the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday (July 21) as part of a protest in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition to the USA on espionage charges.

In a speech to protesters and media, Westwood explained she was reflecting the metaphor of a 'canary in a coal mine', "I am still whistling away, but seven billion people don't know what the f*** is going on in this world."

The fashion designer went on to claim the extradition of Assange is a "stitch-up" and climate change & corruption is how "we're all going to die".