"I think it is a big mistake and we are putting our future internationally at risk in science. We need a bit of funding. We need support for the great scientific nation we have been."

Queen guitarist and astronomer Brian May has said under-funding in science is a "big mistake" and threatens the UK's future on the world stage.

He studied Astrophysics at Imperial College, London, but abandoned his research on interplanetary dust at Imperial College London when the popularity of the group exploded, though he did coauthor two scientific papers.

More than 30 years later in 2007, he completed his PhD thesis, A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud and was awarded his doctorate.

Dr May, 60, who has taken up his role as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University at a ceremony, said money is needed now. Speaking before the ceremony at St George's Hall in Liverpool, he said: "It is very sad that the cuts have been so sweeping. It is a real shame. I think everyone is going through a horrific time in science in this country. It is a rather sorry state of affairs.

"I think it is a big mistake and we are putting our future internationally at risk in science. We need a bit of funding. We need support for the great scientific nation we have been."

Sir Patrick Moore, who also watched the ceremony, agreed with Dr May and said: "I'm not happy at all. It's not great. I just hope it improves. They (the Government) are very sneaky. They try to close Jodrell Bank then cut funding in science elsewhere."

Commenting on Dr May's criticisms, Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary David Willetts said: "Brian May is right. The Government should think again over its damaging cuts to science funding, which threaten Britain's future as a leading science nation. The current Wakeham Review should include an assessment of the impact of the current funding crisis on scientific research."

The crisis has come because of an £80 million funding shortfall at the Science and Technology Facilities Council, a research council, threatening participation in astronomy projects, the forthcoming Large Hadron Collider atom smasher, near Geneva, and leading to the UK pulling out of the next generation, a linear collider. Thousands of physicists have protested, including prominent figures such as Lord Rees, astronomer royal, and Prof Stephen Hawking.

Last week, the cuts were criticized by the particle physicist Peter Higgs, emeritus professor at Edinburgh University, who said his opinions are "fairly unprintable. It looks like a major disaster in the funding of this kind of physics in the UK. We have to quit various international collaborations in a way which has not happened before. You are letting down your international partners and after that sort of thing has happened, they don't trust you any more. That is even worse."