Rock and roll guitar legend Slash has backed a campaign to build a bridge to the dinosaurs of Crystal Palace Park.

The iconic Guns n Roses band member, known for epic shredding solos, has revealed the unique collection of life-size sculptures, built in 1854, have a "special place" in his heart.

Slash, real name Saul Hudson, tweeted a link to a campaign to build a permanent bridge to the dinosaurs, which are scattered across islands.

Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, who maintain the sculptures, are hoping to raise £70,000 to fund the project which would enable them to run frequent public tours of the historic landmarks.

Slash, 53, reached out to his 3.6 million twitter followers on Saturday evening. Alongside a link to the fundraising page he said: "If you feel obliged, please donate to a spot that has always held a special place in my heart."

The campaign reached out to Slash after remembering an interview with Dermot O'Leary in 2014, when he mentioned visiting the dinosaurs as a child.

Slash spent the first five years of his life in London and Stoke, before moving to LA to achieve rock-god status.

Sarah Slaughter, Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs trustee, said: "I saw that he was following us on Twitter and took the opportunity to send a DM.

"He got back straight away and offered an item for our charity auction as well as tweeting about us.

"It's been really fun looking at all the responses from locals in the CP area too.

"I was dancing around the room!"

The auction will be held online in mid December, and there will also be a fundraiser event at the Gipsy Hill Taproom on December 14.

The campaign are looking for further items to auction, and will be reaching out to other dinosaur-fancying celebrities in due course.

Mr Hudson's love for reptiles is well documented. Often seen with a serpent round his neck, the guitarist revealed his fascination with the dinosaurs when speaking to Reptiles Magazine.

He said: "When I was young and lived in London, I think that one of the biggest thrills that I had was going to Crystal Palace.

"Crystal Palace is a big park, and it had huge, life-size sculptures of dinosaurs.

"The figures they had, though, were completely anatomically incorrect. I kept going there and looking at the sculptures and was very much into that."

The models were designed and sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins under the scientific direction of Sir Richard Owen, representing the latest scientific knowledge of the period.

For further information on the campaign visit: https://www.spacehive.com/bridges-to-the-crystal-palace-dinosaurs