Eco-campaigners have criticised BP boss Tony Hayward for planning to install solar panels on the roof of his mansion.

They see the move as a “desperate” bid to clean up his image after coming under fire for his handling of the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The chief executive of the oil giant has been given planning permission to install 10 solar panels at his 16th-century home in a village near Sevenoaks.

But Jason Ankers, of West Kent Greenpeace, said the eco-friendly measure would not be enough to restore his reputation, branding it “too little, too late”.

He said: “Solar panels are not enough to save Tony Hayward’s image – he has already done far too much damage.

“He needs to face up to his huge global responsibilities – not home improvements.”

Mr Hayward, 53, has been vilified in the US since being interviewed as the face of BP after the oil leak started on April 20.

He was dubbed “the most hated and clueless man in America” by one newspaper for making insensitive or over-optimistic comments about the spill.

And he was replaced as the company’s spokesman on the incident last month by an American counterpart as BP battled to contain the spill, which was leaking 25,000 barrels of oil a day into the sea.

Around the time of Mr Hayward stepping aside as the spokesman on the incident, it emerged that Kent Police had launched an operation to protect his wife Maureen and their two children, after they received hate mail and threatening phone calls from people angered by the environmental disaster.

Mrs Hayward said the material arriving in her post had made her and their children feel “rather uncomfortable”.

She said: "Members of my family have had nasty phone calls and we have also had mail from groups.

"Tony is obviously away and we are miles away from him, so it's upsetting."

The house where the family live can only be reached by a private road and is protected by a 12ft high perimeter hedge.

It is estimated that more than a million barrels of oil have leaked into the sea since an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in April, which killed 11 workers.

But Mr Hayward has refused to resign and defended BP for spending at least $1.25 billion on trying to cap the leak. It is estimated that the final figure for dealing with the crisis could be about $30 billion.

A new containment cap was installed last weekend which it is hoped will stop the spill until the pipeline can be permanently closed off.