COLLEGE managers have expressed delight at the exam successes achieved by students during the last year.

Hundreds of full-time, part-time, mature and young students from across the North West donned their caps and gowns for Blackburn College's awards ceremony and received degrees, HNDs and other post graduate qualifications.

Chairman Derek Hall said: "Some of our students have obtained impressive academic qualifications, such as first class honours degrees, or excellent A level results while others have advanced their learning and practical skills through our vast range of programmes and activities."

Three students on the BA Honours in graphic design course, which is a Lancaster University degree, achieved first class honours -- the second year running for the college. Friends Claire Morris, 22, of Haslingden, Kate Roberts, 37, of Ramsbottom, and Sally Kay, 21, of Darwen, found out together that they had all achieved top honours.

Claire said: "When we realised what we'd got, we all just cried."

Sally said: "I was hoping for a first, but I certainly wasn't expecting one."

Course co-ordinator Helen Matthews said: "This is the second year running we have had three firsts. We are very proud of them."

Mature student Pauline Baldwin, who also works in the Blackburn with Darwen council's lifelong learning department, achieved a diploma in management studies, despite a 20-year gap since she was last in a classroom. Pauline, whose pass mark was just two per cent off a distinction, said: "It was a long while since I had done any studying, and it was very challenging." Nigerian doctor Paul Osuhor, 67, was celebrating after achieving a Bachelor of Law degree after coming over from his home country to stay in Blackburn during the course, which lasted four years.

Paul was at the ceremony with fellow students Peter Croasdale, 60, Cheryl Marsden, 46, and Sarah Whitehead, 21.

Students who had had a look into the criminal mind celebrated passing their BA and HNDs in criminology. Elizabeth Redfearn, 29, from Kent, said: "It is a very interesting course, although at times it was hard."

She was there with fellow students Debbie Smith, 31 and Donna Barlow, 21.

Staff and students of the Master in Business Administration course, which is validated by the University of Hull, enjoyed their sixth successful year, which had also seen the department accredited by the Quality Assurance Association.

The college, which is one of the main providers of higher education in East Lancashire, celebrated a bumper crop of results this year, with 170 programmes having a 100 per cent pass rate and over all pass rate for A level students of 92.2 per cent.