By Michael Hambleton A new chief executive has been appointed to take charge of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, near Didcot, and its sister laboratory in Cheshire.

Prof John Wood, of Nottingham University, will succeed Dr Gordon Walker as head of the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC) on April 1.

His appointment is for four years on an annual salary of 82,000, and he will be eligible for a performance pay award of up to 20 per cent of basic salary after one year.

Prof Wood will be based at RAL with overall responsible for Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire, and the Chilbolton Observatory, Hampshire.

He is Dean of Engineering and head of materials engineering at Nottingham. He will arrive at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at an early stage in the development of the 200m Diamond X-ray source, which will carry out research into diseases, drugs and materials.