A NOBEL prize winning scientist returned to the town of his birth on Friday.

Sir Harry Kroto, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1996, was born in Wisbech and lived in the town for the first five months of his life.

His parents were born in Berlin, but came to Great Britain in the 1930s as refugees from the Nazis because his father was Jewish.

Professor Kroto addressed students at Wisbech Grammar School and gave his name to a chemistry laboratory.

He said: “We want everybody to be educated so they don’t need to be led by politicians and others who are just idiots.

“The ethical purpose of education must involve teaching our young people how they can decide what they are being told is true.”

In a separate address to lower sixth form scientists he talked about his career, took questions from the audience and encouraged the students to become involved in his project, GEOSET, which helps people to communicate their ideas to a wider audience.

Headmaster Nicholas Hammond said: “We were absolutely delighted to welcome Sir Harry Kroto to Wisbech Grammar School.

“He proved an inspirational speaker whose ideas will stay for a long time with the pupils who heard him.”