ACTOR Mel Gisbon has claimed his box-office hit Braveheart helped the SNP's Holyrood election success.

Gibson, in an interview in the US, said the effects of the film had been "pretty interesting".

He said: "It started the ball rolling. It's amazing how powerful a piece of work can be and how it can influence people and change."

Gibson has been criticised for his Scottish accent in the film, which portrays the life of William Wallace but contains a number of historical inaccuracies.

The film, which won five Oscars, was released in 1995. In 1997, Scots voted overwhelmingly for the Scottish Parliament to be created and in 2007 Alex Salmond became First Minister.

On release, Braveheart had its European premiere in Stirling with the SNP using the film in a leaflet campaign at that time.

Gibson's picture was on party literature with the caption: "Independence – we need it more than ever."