A state-of-the-art cancer centre is to open to provide the latest therapies to animals.

The £3million centre at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies Edinburgh is the first facility of its kind in Scotland.

It is hoped that as well as treating animals it will give an insight into cancers in humans.

The centre will provide radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery for animals and treat around 20 cases each week.

The centre forms part of the school's Hospital for Small Animals at Easter Bush and has the latest equipment including a linear accelerator to provide radiotherapy.

It also has a CT scanner for diagnosis which is large enough to take scans of horses.

Professor David Argyle, director of the cancer centre, said in a statement: "The cancer centre will have the most sophisticated diagnostic procedures, followed by comprehensive cancer therapies for pets.

"It will also pave the way for comparative medicine, relating what we know about the disease in animals to humans to improve treatments for all."

Research undertaken at the centre will include identifying cancer causing genes, understanding tumour progression and analysing the role of stem cells in cancer.