A NORTH-East physicist has been elected to the fellowship of the Royal Society.

The honour has gone to Professor Nigel Glover, a particle physicist at Durham University’s world-leading Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP).

He said: “It is a great honour to have my contributions to particle physics recognised by the Royal Society.

“It has been a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun to discover more about the workings of the Universe at the most fundamental level.

“I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with an outstanding group of postgraduate students and colleagues and to have benefited from the fantastic environment within the IPPP.”

Meanwhile, Bill Bryson, the popular travel writer and former Durham University chancellor, has been elected an honorary fellow.

The Royal Society was founded in the 17th Century to recognise, promote and support excellence in science.

It has almost 1,500 fellows and foreign members, including more than 80 Nobel laureates. Up to 44 fellows, eight foreign members and one honorary fellow are elected each year.