SEVEN new members have been appointed to an Environment Agency committee in the North-East.

Allan Donnelly, Stephen Lowe, Trevor Crisp, Martyn Howat, Patrick Murray, Dick Kirk and John Storey will serve on the regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committee.

Mr Donnelly works for the Ministry of Defence, managing the 8,500-hectare training area around Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. He has an honours degree in environment and technology from the Open University.

Mr Lowe, conservation manager at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, held the same post with Durham Wildlife Trust. He has an honours degree in environmental studies from the University of Sunderland.

Mr Crisp graduated from Durham University with a degree in zoology, later obtaining a PhD in ecology. A former employee of the Nature Conservation Council he later became principal scientific officer with the Freshwater Biological Association and has held senior posts with the Institute of Freshwater Ecology.

From Hexham, in Northumberland, Mr Howat is general manager for English Nature in the North-East, Yorkshire and the Humber, working in conservation for more than 25 years.

Mr Murray, of Neasham, near Darlington, is managing director of Sunderland Marina and the Marine Activities Centre.

Both Mr Storey, a retired teacher, and Mr Kirk, a retired water engineer, hail from Sheffield.