Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh has been named patron of an Edinburgh theatre to help lead a multi-million-pound renovation project.

The Leith Theatre Trust announced it has appointed the writer a year on from taking on the lease of the historic art deco building.

A major drive is under way to restore the main auditorium of the complex on Ferry Road, which first opened in 1932 and played host to acts including AC/DC and Thin Lizzy in its heyday.

The property, formerly Leith Town Hall, was forced to close for 20 years after being hit by a bomb in the Second World War. It then shut in 1988.

The trust needs to raise up to £10m to restore the buildings to their former glory.

Welsh said: "I used to play outside the Leith Theatre as a kid and always remember it as an impressive but dormant force.

"I recall seeing Mott the Hoople play there and thought that this was the start of good times for the impressive space.

"It wasn't to be and the main theatre lay empty for several decades. Now Leith Theatre is about come of age again."

Welsh said the attraction would be a welcome addition to the city's entertainment scene while becoming a "hub" for the local community and tourists.

In January last year, Leith Theatre Trust was given a lease of the buildings for a five-year period.

The team hopes the complex can be transformed into a "viable ongoing cultural space" offering a 1500-seat auditorium and smaller rehearsal and performance spaces.

Leith Theatre was recently announced as the venue for the Hidden Door festival, which runs from May 26 to June 4.

The building, which currently hosts a variety of events in its Thomas Morton Hall, will be transformed to house live music, theatre, bars, a cinema and exhibition and installation spaces.