TWO academics who went on to earn fame and fortune in the wider world returned to their North-East roots to be honoured by their former university.

Ex-Durham student Dr Peter Ogden and former astronomy professor Richard Ellis received honorary degrees in the the university's physics department.

Yesterday's ceremony was staged in a £20m science complex partly funded by Dr Ogden, who went on to open a successful business, leading IT infrastructure company Computacenter , on leaving Durham with doctorate in physics in the late 1960s.

The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics, on the university's Stockton Road science site, was opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair last month.

Dr Ogden, who now lives in London, was happy to return so soon after the opening ceremony for yesterday's events.

"It was originally going to be staged on the same day, but logistics meant that couldn't be done, so it's good to come back for another nice occasion.

"I remember a lot of my time in Durham was spent in what are now offices on the roof of the original physics building on the site, looking out over what is now this centre, but which was then just a tree-lined bank.

"Along with Cambridge, this is now the largest institute for fundamental physics in the UK.

"It's important to bring together people with expertise doing the same things here, it's what you need to make breakthroughs. They can't do it on their own."

Dr Ogden, who was conferred with an honorary doctorate of civil law by university Vice-Chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman, was accompanied by his mother, Frances.

Prof Ellis, who was made an honorary doctor of science at the ceremony, was professor of astronomy at Durham from 1985 to 1993.

He moved on to Cambridge and is now at the California Institute of Technology, where he is director of the Caltech Optical Observatories and Steele Professor of Astronomy.