Pictured above: Trevor Baylis OBE at The University of Northampton with his latest invention, a high tech walking stick

Trevor Baylis OBE, world famous inventor of the revolutionary Clockwork Radio, has received an Honorary Doctorate from The University of Northampton.

Accepting his Award in front of an audience of several hundred graduates, their families and friends on the fourth and final day of summer graduation ceremonies at the University, Trevor surprised all present by publicly unveiling his latest invention - a high tech walking stick packed with more gadgets than your average James Bond movie!

Demonstrating the features of this new product he revealed the walking stick was not only collapsible for ease of carrying, but when fully extended includes a wind-up crank powering a bright light in the handle to help find your way in the dark; red running lights along the cane to enable others to see you; a push-touch alarm for, in Trevor's words "if she gets a bit familiar", and finally, a powerful magnet in the handle allowing users to pick up car keys and other dropped metal items with ease.

Encouraging the hundreds of Science and Health graduate students present with examples of his own determination and resourcefulness to find solutions where none are initially apparent, Trevor said:

"People think you have to be some sort of fruitcake to be an inventor, and if that's the case I suppose we all are. How many of you here today have had a great idea and thought to yourself 'it must have been done already'? Then done nothing about it and a few months later seen the thing in a shop window?"

He continued: "Nobody pays you for a good idea but they might pay you for a little piece of paper which says you own that idea - namely a patent, or a design registration or brand. The most important thing is that 'art is pleasure, but invention is treasure'.

"If you go to the Science Museum in London they're celebrating 100 years. The old Empire was built on the back of the amazing inventions you'll see in that place. I believe the secret to our future is the same route. We should show respect to inventors and every University in the land should teach their students about intellectual property.

"I believe the theft of intellectual property is a criminal offence. If I was to nick your car, I could go to jail, but if it was your intellectual property, you'd have to sue me. How could I, or you, take on some huge corporation at the cost of a million pounds a day?"

Trevor concluded his speech by thanking the assembled audience and volunteered his services to help any inventors of the future present with bringing their ideas to market.

Ann Tate, Vice Chancellor of The University of Northampton, added: "We're thrilled that Trevor was able to join us today and that the University could present him with his Honorary Doctorate. He is an inspiration to all those who meet him and our students can learn valuable lessons from the example he sets and his resourceful approach to problem solving."