THREE of Bolton Sixth Form College's top students have been offered places at the country's premier universities.

Catherine Smith and Victoria Cooper have each gained a place to study law at Oxford University, while Dhanshuk Vekaria has a place at Downing College, Cambridge.

And now the college is launching new programmes designed to help even more of its students get places at the most prestigious universities.

Between them, the three students have an impressive record of GCSE results, notching up 27 A* and A grades between them, together with good results at AS level.

Catherine is a former student of St James C of E School, Farnworth, while Victoria studied at Smithills School and Dhanshuk went to Hayward School.

The College, which has a good track record of Oxbridge success, has now started a new 'Academic Fellowship' programme that is has been designed to help support students with strong GCSE results with their applications to Oxford, Cambridge and other top universities.

Bob Hindle, Equal Opportunities Manager, has spent some time at Oxford on an Excellence Fellowship, on a project designed to further increase the number of students from the College and its feeder schools who go on to the university.

Mr Hindle said "Oxford is doing a good deal of work in trying to attract more applications from state schools and colleges."

Principal Roy Whittle said "I am very pleased that our students have done so well."

"It demonstrates our commitment as a college to ensuring that all students have a wide range of opportunities and that all fulfil their potential."

"Entry to Oxford and Cambridge is very competitive and the college's success is a reflection of excellent teaching and talented young people."