A NEW admissions policy adopted by one of Britain's top universities could be the way to boost the relatively low numbers of Bolton youngsters going on to further education, according to a Bolton MP.

Dr Brian Iddon MP for Bolton South-east has welcomed Edinburgh University's new access policy which would see the institution taking state students with lower A level grades, in a bid to make admissions "fairer to applicants from all backgrounds".

Under the policy - which Dr Iddon wants to see adopted in every university - admissions tutors will be expected to look at the "context" in which candidates achieved their A-Level and Scottish Highers grades.

If a state school applicant is neck and neck on grades with a privately educated rival, he or she will score "additional points" if they have for example;

Experienced "serious disruption" to their education.

Are in the first generation of their family to go to university

Come from schools with little or no tradition of sending pupils to university

Dr Iddon said he hoped this type of policy would boost the numbers of Bolton youngsters going on to further education and said he hoped all universities had similar policies.

Currently, 64 per cent of Bolton students stay on for further education - compared to statistics from neighbouring town this figure is relatively low.