A YORK-BASED businessman and former journalist in the city has been awarded the highest honour in business communications.

Tim Moat, who lives in Acomb Road, has earned Fellowship status of the British Association of Communicators in Business (CiB) as "a well-deserved acknowledgment of his skills and experience", according to Nick Andrews, national chairman of the CiB.

Mr Moat is one of only five Fellows to have achieved this position in 2005. Fellowships are awarded for consistently reaching the highest levels of professional excellence.

He said: "It's a bit like winning a lifetime achievement award before the end of your life - there's still some distance to go."

Tim Moat, 44, is board director with Geronimo Communications, a UK top ten design and PR company with eight offices across the country, employing 100 people.

He began his journalistic career as a freelancer and running the York Times free newspaper.

In 1987 he started Headline Communications in York, initially with a partner above a firm of vets in Fulford Road.

As the business grew, it moved to The Mount and then Clifford Street, taking on staff and eventually merging with Atlas Public Relations in 2000. The new company was acquired by the Tribal Group plc in September 2002 and Geronimo is Tribal's communications division.

Tim, a former head boy at Lowfield School in Acomb, will now be allowed to carry the initials FCB after his name.

Updated: 11:30 Friday, January 13, 2006