A FAMILY is celebrating after collecting a full set of academic honours.

Katrina Gill, from Sedgefield, has become the fourth member of her family to gain a doctorate.

She completed her PhD - her thesis was in protein biochemistry - at Newcastle University, to follow in the footsteps of her parents and brother.

The 26-year-old is a former student of Carmel School, Darlington. She obtained her degree at Warwick University.

For the past year, she has been employed by the National Health Service as a cytogeneticist at the Centre for Life, in Newcastle.

The rest of the Gill family all gained their doctorates in chemistry, although in different disciplines in the subject.

Father David gained his PhD at Birmingham University, in 1962, and mother Wendy was awarded hers from Durham, in 1987. Brother Christopher, 28, completed the hat-trick with a PhD from York University in 2001.

David Gill said he was delighted that all members of the family can now call themselves doctor.

He said: "It is not something we set out to do, it has just happened, but I'm very proud."