THREE Lytham students have talked their way to top college places at Oxford.

Modern language students Greg Coulter, Jo Stephenson and Chris Roberts of King Edward VII and Queen Mary School have won conditional places at St Edmund Hall, Lady Margaret Hall and Keble College.

And it is the first time three of the school's language students in the same year have won Oxford places.

All three students are studying French, German and English A Levels.

Head boy Chris, a pupil of King Edward's since he was seven, said: "We have to work very hard but our lessons are lively, challenging and often amusing so we've all enjoyed mastering French and German, especially in the sixth form." Jo joined the school from Mayfield Primary School, St Annes, and Greg attended Haweside Primary School before going to King Edward's.

Julian Wilde, school principal, praised their success as a "remarkable achievement".

He said: "We have now had 18 linguists moving on to Oxford and Cambridge in the past decade, but never three in the same year. It is an eloquent testimony to the hard work and the skills of the students and their teachers."

He added: "The students' places are all conditional on gaining good A Level grades but, with such an incentive, I am confident all three will confirm their places in the summer."