Francis Crick, the ex-Mill Hill schoolboy who co-discovered DNA, is more than £1.8million richer this week after his personal papers were bought from him for the nation.

The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Wellcome Trust both contributed £904,000 for the collection.

It includes laboratory notebooks, correspondence with James Watson (with whom he discovered DNA) and other leading biologists, manuscripts and lecture notes, including papers that were never published.

A plaque was unveiled last October at Mill Hill School in The Ridgeway, where he boarded from 1931-35.

Current headmaster, William Winfield, said the school was justly proud of its illustrious alumni: "Those papers must be of real scientific and historical importance. His work with James Watson on DNA must be one of the most significant things to have happened in the last 50 years."

Professor Crick, now 85 and living in California, wrote to Mr Winfield last year, saying: "My whole scientific career was grounded on the excellent science teaching at Mill Hill School."

David Pearson, head of the Wellcome Trust Library where the papers will be on display, said: "We are delighted that the papers have not fallen into private hands abroad and can guarantee that his work remains part of our scientific heritage.

"In financial terms this is the biggest single acquisition the trust has ever made, but its value is priceless."

December 13, 2001 11:30