PART-time student Jacqui Thompson is celebrating after winning a national award.

The 37-year-old, a student at Darlington College of Technology for the past 18 months, gained six distinctions in the Institute of Operations Management (IOM) diploma exams - the first time it has been achieved. As a result, the IOM has awarded her the title of Student of the Year.

"She's a very dynamic and competitive student and worked well at every stage," said tutor Ian Black, at Darlington college's Business School. "But the excitement really mounted when she got five distinctions and we wondered whether she would get all six."

Ms Thompson, who celebrated completing the course by marrying her boyfriend Kevin, in Mexico, was confident of gaining good results.

She said: "I wasn't surprised to get six distinctions because I worked really hard. I knew there was a chance to become Student of the Year, so I went that extra mile."

Jacqui attended the college's Business School, at Morton Park, every Monday and Tuesday evening. She then spent every Saturday afternoon and about five hours on a Sunday working on 12 written assignments before revising for five weeks for six three-hour exams.

Mr Black said the level four course covered production controls and inventory management and was designed to benefit her and her employer, Cummins Engines Company, where Jacqui works as a supply chain team leader.