[3] Leather had a childhood interest in insects[4] and was educated at King George V School (Hong Kong) and Ripon Grammar School, he studied BSc Agricultural Zoology at the University of Leeds, graduating in 1977; and a PhD on the ecology of the bird cherry-oat aphid at the University of East Anglia, graduating in 1980.
[9] Leather has also carried out research in urban ecology, looking at the biodiversity value of roundabouts for over 10 years in Bracknell Forest.
[10] He was an advocate of the need for specialist training in entomology and taxonomy[11] and before his move to Harper Adams University was concerned that his then unique (in the UK) Masters courses in Entomology, Integrated Pest Management and Plant Pathology would cease on his eventual retirement.
[12] In 2009 he coined the phrase 'institutional vertebratism' to describe the bias of scientific research funding to vertebrate animals, rather than the more numerous invertebrates.
[13] In late 2012 Leather joined Twitter with the account handle @entoprof[14] and in 2013 he started a personal blog Don't forget the roundabouts.