EXCELLENT A-Level results were not hampered at a west London college despite being hit by a huge fire three weeks ago.

Ealing and West London College, St Marys Road, Ealing, handed out A-Level and AS-Level results to around 450 students this morning and boasted a pass rate of more than the national average.

The process of handing out the results was delayed because of the recent fire and many students had to hang around until all the results were collated.

Students Jay Vara and Sadaf Hussein, both from Southall, were outside the college entrance from 10.30am as they waited anxiously for their results. Jay said: "I've had a really sleepless night and I'm really scared about my results. I need a total of 240 points to go to De Montfort University in Leicester. I need grades C's and D's to get in."

The delay was mainly due to the lack of power which meant there were no

computers available to process the results so teachers had to sort them out manually themselves.

Beatrice Movaghar, College Director for the Ealing Site praised the staff and students for 95 per cent pass rate. She said: "We are very, very pleased with the results because it has been a very difficult year.

"The fire has affected as immensely but it has also been difficult with the merging of the college with Hammersmith College. Nevertheless the staff and students have done brilliantly to achieve the results that we have."

The college achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in various subjects such as art, economics, maths and physics and over 90 per cent pass rate in other subjects.

Star student Shabnam Ahmad shrieked with delight as she opened her results to reveal three A grades. Shabnam said: "I am so surprised. I was not expecting to get any A's let alone three. I had an unconditional offer anyway at the Chelsea College of Art but I am really pleased with my results." Shabnam got A's in IT, Media Studies and Art.

Another student who thought she had messed up was in tears as she shakily opened her results. Silbana Halili, originally from Albania, but now lives in Chiswick was really shocked with her results. She said: "I can go to Brunel University now to do Accounts and Finance. Oh my God, I can't believe it. I really thought I had messed up." Silbana got A's in Accounts and Business Studies and a C in maths.

Vikas Chowdhary from Southall did much better than he expected. Minutes before opening his envelope he predicted he would get three B's. He said: "I am really, really happy. I got an A and two B's. I got an A in English and that was my hardest subject. I can go to Kings College University now to do philosophy."