More than a ton of confiscated ivory has been crushed in New York’s Times Square to send a message that the illegal trade will not be tolerated.

The ivory, confiscated in New York and Philadelphia, was sent up a conveyor belt into a rock crusher.

The Wildlife Conservation Society says the global ivory trade leads to the slaughter of up to 35,000 elephants a year in Africa.

Actress and activist Kristin Davis warned people not to buy an ivory.

“Animals are being slaughtered every 15 minutes and it’s a very gruesome death. We are going to lose elephants in 10 years if we don’t do something,” the Sex in the City actress said.

Wildlife Conservation Society spokesman John Calvelli said: “This is an illegal product and we feel that burning it or destroying it gets it out of commercial use and, therefore, there’s less of a chance for it to find its way into the marketplace.”

The ivory was displayed on a table and placed on the belt before being ground into dust.

Sally Jewell, secretary of the Department of the Interior, said: “Today’s ivory crush will serve as a stark reminder to the rest of the world that the United States will not tolerate wildlife crimes.”

Much of the ivory was confiscated from Philadelphia antiques dealer Victor Gordon, who was jailed for two and a half years in 2014.