The Taken star is a vocal opponent of de Blasio's proposals to remove the animals and drivers from the Manhattan tourist trap and replace them with vintage cars, insisting the move would rob hard-working members of the community of their livelihoods.

However, the mayor's scheme appears to have stalled after he admitted this week (beg17Aug15) that he does not have enough votes from City Council members to implement the proposals, and Neeson is adamant de Blasio needs to accept defeat.

The Irish actor tells the New York Daily News, "Mayor de Blasio is finally listening to the will of New Yorkers and we should commend him for that... Poll after poll shows broad opposition to the misguided horse carriage ban and our voices are finally being heard... Shifting blame to the City Council is not the kind of leadership we need from City Hall. The mayor needs to own up to the fact that he put this idea on the table and will now abandon the ban for good... Let the carriage drivers have some peace and comfort that their jobs and families are safe and secure."

The plan to ban the carriages has received strong support from the animals rights lobby, with stars including Anjelica Huston, Miley Cyrus and Lea Michele all their backing the scheme.