AN eminent Times Territory peer will today (Wednesday) receive an honorary degree in recognition of his life long dedication to the field of social work.

Lord Laming of Tewin, pictured, will be given an honorary doctorate of civil law by Northumbria University, at a ceremony in his home town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

A former probation officer and social worker, the 73-year-old is perhaps best known for chairing the public inquiry into the tragic death of Victoria Climbie, in Haringey, North London, in 2000.

At the Government’s behest, he would later bring his experience to the table following the harrowing death of Baby P in 2008.

Lord Laming, who has lived in Tewin Wood since 1971, told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: “It is a great honour to receive an honorary degree from a university.

“I am particularly pleased because Northumbria is a university that has put a lot of effort into training students who are doing social care work.”

Professor Andrew Wathey, the vice-chancellor of Northumbria University, said: “Northumbria confers honorary awards to people who have made an outstanding contribution in their chosen field.

“The University’s School of Health, Community and Education Studies has a well-established and enviable reputation for producing high calibre graduates in social work and so this is a welcome opportunity to honour a man who is recognised as a leader in his field.’’

A former director of social services in Hertfordshire, William Herbert Laming was awarded a CBE in 1985.

He was later knighted in 1996 and, two years later, was made a life peer.

He continues to sit as a crossbencher in the House of Lords to this day.