Queen guitarist Brian May says it's only a matter of time until humanity is destroyed by a giant asteroid hurtling into the earth. May – who has a doctorate in astronomy – is one of a group of scientists who are calling for efforts to be increased to detect asteroids capable of causing widespread destruction of the planet.

May tells the Financial Times: “The more we learn about asteroid impacts, the clearer it becomes that the human race has been living on borrowed time. The campaign launched this week is intended to raise awareness and put pressure on governments to act.”|

More than 100 people have joined the call for governments and private business to do more to track and detect asteroids.

Britain’s royal astronomer, Lord Rees, says that detecting the mass of small objects that could cause destruction on earth would require an infrared telescope mounted on a spacecraft orbiting between Earth and Venus.

Meanwhile, Queen and Adam Lambert will play 10 UK dates next year.