Heath Ledger's dad: Don't blame my son for Denver shootings

Heath Ledger's father has said he was 'appalled' at news that the gunman who murdered 12 people and injured 59 at a 'Dark Knight Rises' screening in Denver last week had modelled himself on his late son's character The Joker.

It's claimed that James Holmes had dyed his hair and beard red in homage to the character before opening fire at the cinema at a midnight screening.

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It's said that Holmes identified himself to police on the scene as 'The Joker' before surrendering.

“It's terrible - the whole circumstances. It's diabolical. I am appalled. The guy's obviously a nut case. He has obviously lost it,” Kim Ledger told the Herald Sun.

“I think what America should be doing is restricting the availability of ammunition or revisiting their gun laws - that's what they should be doing.

“We can't blame Heath or the character. It's fictitious. I don't know what this does to the character. I think that's the least of my worries.”

Ledger died in 2008, just a few months after finishing his final scenes at The Joker in 'The Dark Knight'.

He received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor posthumously.