A COLLEGE student is looking forward to university life this month after scoring a hat-trick of distinctions in a new diploma.

Gary Lightfoot, from Marske, obtained three distinctions in the BTEC national diploma for IT Practitioners, which was introduced by Redcar and Cleveland College last year.

He is now preparing to study for a degree in games programming at the University of Teesside.

Gary's achievement capped a good performance overall from the college, which revealed a 100 per cent pass rate for the two-year diploma. Three quarters of the students had gained As or Bs.

One of the main appeals of the diploma is its flexible modular structure, which allows students to plot their own study path throughout the second year.

After completing a set of core units, students can choose learning strands in either systems support or software development.

Gary said: "I never dreamed that I would get one distinction, let alone three.

"I couldn't have done this without the fantastic support of my family and the college tutors."

Trevor Watson, who is the course leader at the college said: "Gary's superb results are a shining example of what can be achieved through application and dedication."