Muse have pledged to donate ВЈ15,000-worth of music equipment to a university in their native Devon.

The Teignmouth trio will hand over the state-of-the-art gear to Plymouth University, which will help undergraduate students get experience of industry-standard recording skills.

Professor David Coslett, Dean of the Faculty of the Arts, told BBC News that the donation was a "wonderfully generous gesture". He added: "We are proud to be associated with the band, given their significant contribution to contemporary popular music and their links to the South West and the University."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Muse commented:

"[The band] are delighted to provide this equipment and hope it will inspire students to go on and create great music for years to come."

Muse are believed to have started work on their new studio album, the follow-up to 2009's 'The Resistance', over the past month.