"This is a great breakthrough, one that could be profoundly significant to our understanding of the universe and the fundamental laws that govern it.
"All of those involved in this important discovery deserve huge acclaim, in particular the many UK scientists, researchers and businesses that have helped make the Large Hadron Collider such a tremendous success. And let's not forget that this discovery started right here in Britain. The man behind the theory, Peter Higgs, was born and bred in Newcastle and did his ground-breaking work in Edinburgh.
"The search for the Higgs Boson has inspired so many to get involved in science over the years; hopefully today’s announcement will inspire the next generation of scientists too, helping to ensure the UK continues to be at the forefront of the next great scientific discoveries. From Higgs to DNA to Graphene, Britain is great for science."