A Nobel prize-winning scientist is to return to a university he left two years ago because of the lack of funding.

Sir Harry Kroto will return to the University of Sussex's lauded chemistry department on a part-time basis.

The emininent scientist helped to build the department's reputation before he decamped to America in 2004.

Earlier this year he was a leading campaigner against the university's controversial plans to close the department in a cost-saving measure.

He threatened to return his honorary degree, a threat he carried out at Exeter and Hertfordshire universities when they axed chemistry.

The department was saved from closure in May following national opposition.

Dr Gerry Lawless, head of chemistry at Sussex, said: "It is amazing really.

"One minute we were facing closure and the next we are advertising four new posts, welcoming Harry back and increasing our student numbers."

Dr Lawless had himself resigned from his position in protest at the proposed closure but returned when the plans were abandoned.

The chemistry department had a full number of applicants for its undergraduate places this year despite the introduction of top-up fees.

It has the highest gradings for research and teaching quality and produced two Nobel Laureates.

Sir Harry has spent two years at Florida State University, where he was guaranteed financial support for his research.

Prior to his departure in 2004, Sir Harry, 66, said it had become increasingly difficult to find funding for his work in Britain as he drew closer to retirement age.

He loved the University of Sussex and had not been keen to leave.

He received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1996 for his work in discovering a new form of carbon, the C60 molecule, also known as fullerenes.

Sir Harry has regularly returned to his former home town of Lewes.

In August he launched an art exhibition in the town and led a workshop building a model of his molecule.