A LOCAL college has won a prestigious national award after beating off tough competition from across the country.

Leyland's Runshaw College scooped a Beacon Award for its business school -- with around £4,000 prize money.

Principal of the college, Bernard O'Connell, will be presented with the award for finance and business studies, at a special celebration in London on Friday, March 9 in recognition of the department's exam results, teaching and student support.

Beacon Awards celebrate excellence in schools and colleges across the country annually.

Linda Cox, head of Runshaw's School for Business Studies and Law, in Langdale Road, entered the college in the awards.

She said: "The staff and students all worked very hard for this and to win something of this stature must have meant we had some very stiff competition to overcome. I am very proud of everyone involved."

The college was also awarded £4,200 prize money which will be spent on CDs, books and laptops, after a presentation by the chief executive of financial firm IFA, sponsor of the award.

Jim Smith, spokesman for Runshaw College, said: "Student support for students with dyslexia, plus our innovative approaches to teaching, for example studying marketing by looking at set-ups at Manchester United, Wigan Rugby League Club and the Trafford Centre, were all praised.

"Our links with Leyland Natwest Bank were also seen as state-of-the-art in the teaching of business planning.

"Student testimonials were key to the award too and all students interviewed praised the way they'd been taught and put onto the right career path."