TWO of the region's universities have been recognised as among the country's best for research.

Research staff in six subjects at Durham University gained a maximum five-star grade for excellence in an assessment by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Newcastle University followed closely, gaining five-star ratings in four subjects. It attracted grade fives in a further 21 subjects, beating Durham, which had 14.

The only other North-East university to reach grade five standard was Teesside, which excelled in history research.

The gradings, which are the research world's equivalent of restaurants' Michelin stars, were last reviewed in 1996.

They mark the culmination of an 18-month scrutiny process by senior academics.

The highest scoring departments are more likely to attract money from the HEFCE, which uses a formula based on the quantity and quality of research to allocate funding.

The Durham departments that received five-star ratings were chemistry, history, English, applied mathematics, geography and law.

Newcastle's five star departments were clinical laboratory sciences, psychology, biological sciences and music.

Sunderland and Northumbria Universities each ach-ieved grade fours