Le Tour Yorkshire's Gary Verity to get honorary degree

Gary Verity (left) will be awarded his honorary degree later

The man who lead the campaign to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire is to receive an honorary degree from the University of York.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, planned this month's Grand Depart which attracted two and a half million spectators.

He will receive his doctorate during a ceremony at the university later.

South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and Yorkshire Sculpture Park founder Peter Murray were honoured on Thursday.

The university also gave honorary degrees to Prof Ahmed Zewail, who earned the 1990 Nobel prize in chemistry for his work in femtosecond science, and author Mairi MacInnes.

Former BBC controller Roly Keating will also be honoured later.