An American scientist and co-founder of the renowned Discovery Institute says Shrewsbury should be proud of its most famous son Charles Darwin – despite disagreeing with many of his ideas.

Although being among those responsible for forming the intelligent design movement, which challenges Darwin’s theory of evolution, Stephen Meyer, of Seattle, said he had huge respect for the work carried out by the naturalist.

On his first visit to Shrewsbury, Mr Meyer said Darwin was the most famous scientist in the world, whose ideas rocked the established beliefs of Victorian society. But he said he did not accept parts of Darwin’s theory and his idea that life evolved simply by natural selection.

Mr Meyer promotes a school of thought that life is so complex that it must have been designed by a superior being and cannot simply have evolved.

He said: “We think some things Darwin explains well, such as aspects of living systems, but it doesn’t explain everything. It certainly doesn’t explain the origin of information that we need to make life in the first place.”

However, Mr Meyer said Darwin was a great man who achieved great things.

He said: “Absolutely Shrewsbury should be proud, he is the most famous scientist in the history of the world. He brought real insight to the processes that take place.” Mr Meyer has come to the county for the Honest to Darwin conference at Shrewsbury Town Football Club’s Prostar Stadium with his second of two lectures coming tonight at 7.30pm.

This year will see Shrewsbury attract worldwide attention as the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth is celebrated.

Tickets for tonight’s lecture cost £5 and are available on the door. For more details visit www.honesttodarwin.org

l For more Darwin news see Shropshire star.com