The actor who played Hawkeye Pierce in classic TV series M*A*S*H has given his backing to forensic science research being conducted in Dundee.

Alan Alda has lent his support to the newly launched Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at Dundee University.

The Queen officially opened the £10m facility during her visit to the city on Wednesday.

As well as his acting career, which has also included playing US senator Arnold Vinick in the West Wing, Alda has devoted more than 20 years to helping broaden the public's understanding of science.

The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University in New York, which he helped establish, is one of the international partners that will link with the new Dundee facility.

To mark the partnership with Dundee University, Alda sent a video message to all the Leverhulme partners.

Alda said: "We are very excited to be working with the Leverhulme Research Centre at the University of Dundee.

"The work you are planning in forensic science is so tremendously important to justice. We are going to have a great time working together."

The Leverhulme Centre has been established at the university with a £10m award from the Leverhulme Trust.

It builds on the university's reputation as one of the world's leading centres of excellence in forensic science and is led by Professors Dame Sue Black and Niamh Nic Daéid.

Professor Nic Daéid, co-director of the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, said: "If we are to be successful in our ambitions to raise the whole field of forensic science to a new level then it is essential we are able to communicate effectively with a wide range of partners and also, vitally, with the public.

"Working with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science will help us greatly in that respect and we are all delighted to have received such a warm message of support from Alan."