Chancellor Gordon Brown and Live8 organiser Bob Geldof have received honorary degrees from Newcastle University in honour of their work in tackling world poverty.

|PIC2|Tory politician Chris Patten presented Mr Brown with an honorary doctor of civil law degree.

Other notable figures honoured in a ceremony at the Sage Gateshead music centre today were political economist Susan George, former president of Tanzania Benjamin William Mkapa and David Golding, of Make Poverty History North East.

The chancellor played a key role in bringing the G8 countries gathered at Gleneagles in 2005 to agreement on a debt relief package for some of the world's poorest countries, while Geldof and U2's Bono organised the Live8 concerts as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.

Professor Christopher Edwards, vice-chancellor of Newcastle University, said in The Guardian: "The university is delighted that Gordon Brown has accepted our invitation to receive an honorary degree.

"Ordinarily, the university does not award honorary degrees to serving politicians, but senate has made an exception in this case because of the enormous personal contribution Gordon Brown has made to the campaign designed to increase international aid and eliminate the debt owed by the world's poorest nations."