Syria war surgeon David Nott gets honorary degree

David Nott and his wife Elly have set up a charity together

A surgeon who has operated on people in war zones across the world has been awarded an honorary degree.

David Nott, who was brought up in Trelech, Carmarthenshire, was given a honorary doctorate by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David on Monday.

The NHS consultant surgeon has worked voluntarily in Syria, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, among other places.

Mr Nott said: "It's the biggest accolade I've ever been given by anybody and it's from my hometown."

The London-based surgeon was born in Carmarthen - his mother was a nurse who met his father, an Indo Burmese doctor, at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.

Since 1993, he has taken up to three months unpaid leave each year to work in war zones all over the globe.

Mr Nott and his wife Elly have also set up the David Nott Foundation - a charity that helps bring surgeons to the UK for training.

He said: "Being brought up in Trelech and having that Welshness in me - and having the importance of family, love and support instilled in me from an early age - it gave me the inspiration which made me feel one could do something with one's life.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened but I developed a passion in life which made me want to go and help people because I hate to see people suffer."