David Carradine's family have expressed their outrage after a Thai newspaper published pictures which appeared to show the actor's dead body.

The images, believed to be forensic photos, reportedly show the Kill Bill star in the Thai hotel room where he was found dead last week.

The man's face was obscured in the pictures, but other elements of the crime scene could apparently be seen.

In a statement, the actor's family said it was "profoundly disturbed" by the photographs and have threatened legal action.

Carradine was found dead in his hotel room in Bangkok on Thursday, where he was shooting the movie, Stretch.

The movie star is reported to have died during an auto-erotic sex act in his hotel room.

Thai police have said the actor was found in a wardrobe with a rope around his neck and other parts of his body.

Tributes have been paid by figures across the movie industry, including Martin Scorsese, who directed Carradine in Mean Streets.