WHAT better way to celebrate the launch of Riverside College Halton than with a bumper crop of A-level results?

The newly merged college saw a 10 per cent rise in AS and A-level results across the two former colleges compared to last year's results.

And students had plenty to party about as some gained the magical figure of four or more A grade A-levels.

The college's overall pass rate was 95 per cent - just under the national average of 96.6 per cent - and 34 of the courses on offer at the college achieved a perfect 100 per cent pass rate.

Top results went to Anthony Lim, who gained As in biology, chemistry, physics, maths and further maths and a B in general studies. The former Bankfield student is now off to Imperial College in London to study physics.

Also picking up five As were former Fairfield student Emma Hickmore, Neil Welsby who went to Tower College, and former Halton High School student Steven Monaghan.

More students who picked up four grade As included Paul Edwards, a former Wade Deacon High School student, who will be studying engineering at Cambridge University.

Alan Harrison, principal, said: "The results illustrate both the college's high academic standards and the enormous range of subjects we offer.

"We didn't just do very well, we also did well in so many different areas and that's great news for the future and for the people of Halton."

Students who studied at evening classes were also successful with the newly introduced AS-level Archaeology gaining a 100 per cent pass rate in its first year.

Riverside College Halton was created on August 1, 2006 through the merging of Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College.