A university lecturer from Arthington who was widowed last year said he wept when he found out he was going to be honoured by the Queen.

Professor Alastair Hay of Arthington Lane received an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his services to occupational health.

He is a Professor of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Leeds and since 1986 has worked on several Govern-ment panels advising on pesticide exposure.

Prof Hay said: "It was very emotional to find out about the honour because the first thing that I wanted to do was tell Wendy, but I couldn't."

Mrs Hay died last year and the professor has been in the news for his criticism of anti-depressant Prozac, which he believes may have led to her suicide.

His views drew national press attention because Prof Hay told the inquest that his wife had changed when she began taking the drug.

Prof Hay, 56, said: "I experienced a very difficult set of emotions but of course I am very pleased to have been honoured. I broke into tears because there was such a mix of emotions."

His work in the past has included sitting on the working group of the Assessment of Toxic Chemicals and the Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances, both of which advise the Government on chemicals at work.

He has also developed tools to help small companies improve safety work in relation to chemicals.

Prof Hay wrote a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair about the 'lukewarm British support of what Americans were doing in the war about chemical warfare'.

He said: "I have research and opinions of the chemical warfare and I decided to write to the Prime Minister.

"I had waited for a reply and I suppose that this is the best sort of reply that I could get.

"It wasn't quite what I had expected but I am of course very grateful!"