Schools in the North-East and North Yorkshire are celebrating record-breaking GCSE results.

Education authorities throughout the region announced improvements on last year's exam performances.

Nationally, the number of pupils who achieved five or more A* to C grades was up by 1.1 per cent to 59.2 per cent.

Many local schools outstripped the country-wide average, with some recording a 100 per cent success rate, though some fell below the mark despite improvements.

Throughout County Durham, an estimated 47 per cent of pupils gained at least five top-ranking grades, up two per cent but below the national average.

In Darlington, 49 per cent reached the recognised standard, although two of the seven state-funded schools - Hurworth Comprehensive and Hummersknott - reported much higher than average performances.

Hartlepool education officials are predicting a 48 per cent success rate of five or more grades A* to C, up almost two thirds from 1997 when the authority took over education from the now defunct Cleveland County Council.

In Middlesbrough, results improved for the third successive year and the percentage of students achieving the benchmark this year has gone up by 2.5 per cent to 41.3 per cent.

Stockton recorded a 50 per cent rate, while students in Redcar and Cleveland's 11 secondary schools produced a 2.5 per cent improvement to reach 49.5 per cent.

Among the top achievers on Teesside, pupils at Egglescliffe School, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, topped 70 per cent for the fourth successive year.

Gateshead is expected to maintain its place as the top-performing authority in Tyne and Wear with a seventh successive annual increase. Early indications showed the overall percentage was 62.2 per cent, up 2.4 per cent on last year.

Newcastle's provisional figure is a five per cent improvement on last year, to 45 per cent, while Sunderland is expected to post a 44 per cent rate.

Students at Richmond School, in North Yorkshire, chalked up a figure of 62 per cent, with 18 of them achieving A* and A grades in all of their exams.

In County Durham, Spennymoor School enjoyed its best performance since 1997 with 42 per cent, while St John's RC Comprehensive, Bishop Auckland, posted a record-breaking 69 per cent.

The figure for Sunnydale School, Shildon, was 37 per cent, at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College it was 56 per cent, and at Roseberry Sports and Community College, Chester-le-Street, it was up nine per cent to 39 per cent.

Pupils at Yarm School, near Stockton, equalled their best pass rate with 96 per cent, while the average number of passes per student rose to 10.6.

Every pupil at Red House School, Norton, near Stockton, scored five or more and 55 per cent of all the results were A* or A. There was also a ten per cent success at nearby Teesside High School, Eaglescliffe, where each of the 69 exam-takers obtained at least five top grades.

Durham county's director of education, Keith Mitchell, said: "Many schools had outstanding results and the overall upward trend is a very strong one."