Football legend Sir Tom Finney was the guest at Preston Colleges new Science, Maths and ICT Academy awards.

Keen to reward the outstanding efforts of students, tutors ensured that everyone received a personalised certificate and for the first time the new Academy gained permission from academically brilliant people to have their names on the awards.

Hussein Mulla, 19, of Deepdale, studied BTEC National Diploma in IT and is now hoping to go to the University of Central Lancashire to study Business Information Technology.

He was so shocked to receive the James Dewar Salver Award, top student in the 16-19 category; his mum had to push him from his seat!

He said: "I didn't know I was to receive an award and went along to support my classmates.

Andy Dawson, Dean of Maths, Science and ICT added: The most important award for the College has to be the Roberta Monaghan Memorial Cup, a former member of staff at the College for six years.

"We presented this award to our top Pathways student, Mubarek Patel, in the hope that he will continue on an academic journey through our courses to maximise his potential in years to come.'