FORMER Burnley MP Peter Pike has been made an honorary fellow of the University of Central Lancashire.

University bosses said the award was not only in recognition of his many community roles but the work he undertook to make UCLan’s Burnley Campus a reality.

Now Mr Pike, who stood down as MP in 2005, is best-known for his work with Emmaus, which has a homeless community at the former Booth Court housing complex in Duke Bar.

But elsewhere the former Parliamentarian is also chairman of the Clarets Trust, the fans lobby group, and Burnley Credit Union, and a trustee of Furniture for Education Worldwide, which provides desks and chairs for schools across Africa.

His citation, read on behalf of Chancellor Sir Richard Evans, said: “His role in working with the unemployed, the homeless and the most vulnerable poor people has had incalculable impact not only in his immediate community but also abroad.

“And of course, he has been a true friend and champion of this university, not only with regard to the establishment of the Burnley Campus but also as a UCLan ambassador at large, particularly on behalf of our community outreach initiatives.”

Mr Pike, who still lives in Burnley, said: “I am proud to be associated with UCLan. I have been a supporter as it moved from being a business school, to a polytechnic and then university.”