Glyndwr University, Wrexham gave its first honorary fellowship to Rhodri Morgan this morning after NEWI was granted university status by royal assent of the Queen earlier this week.

Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales, hailed it as a "tremendous day" for Wrexham but said that staff and students at the university must not rest on their laurels and should look forwards to a "tremendous period of hard work."

New vice-chancellor, Professor Mike Scott, said that he was thrilled by the new status which he believes will have a huge impact on Wrexham and North East Wales.

He said: "We all live in Wales and we should be proud of Wales and what it has acheived . We should go out to the world and say we are Welsh and we are proud and give something of our culture.

"I hope everybody in the community takes ownership of Glyndwr University because he fought for an inclusive society and I fully believe in that.

"This will have a huge, huge impact in Wrexham. The word 'university' starts to unlock a lot of doors and will bring investment into the town.

"These days a town without a university is at a disadvantage. Now Wrexham has that advantage."