A RECORD number of students received certificates at a presentation held in Blackburn College.

More than 280 people -- the college's best ever -- were awarded Access Foundation certificates having completed a range of courses designed to improve their basic skills in subjects such as maths, literacy and information technology.

Tricia Gleave, a basic skills tutor at Blackburn College, said the courses had been run at eight centres across the borough, including the college, and included family literacy schemes based at primary schools. She said: "The organisation that produces the courses is the Open College of the North West and the students have to meet certain criteria to pass in maths, English, and so on. We had a record number of students this year, the most we have ever had."