GREATER Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has said he is considering all options to challenge unfair A Level grading.

Scores of students across Bury and the region received downgraded results yesterday leaving many feeling frustrated, let down and angry ­— and even potentially costing some places at their hoped for universities.

Today, figures released by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) indicated that the North West has been the region most affected by the downgrading.

In a bid to remedy the situation Mr Burnham has met with college principals and heads to discuss the situation and their dismay.

He said: “I heard a consistent account of Colleges not receiving the grades that they had submitted for their students and experiencing a significant downgrading of marks compared to previous years.

“But worse, I heard stories of young people, who have already suffered a terrible year, having yet another injustice done to them.

"One college head spoke of 1,600 students being marked down and just 10 being marked up.

"Another spoke of young people being given a fail for exams they didn’t even have the opportunity to sit."

Mr Burnham said that it was clear to him that the system used to mark this year's A Levels was 'inherently biased' against larger colleges.

Students in Greater Manchester, therefore, he suggested, had been unfairly discriminated against ­— as a higher proportion of them attend such institutions than in most other parts of the country.

“As Mayor, I cannot hear stories of young people in Greater Manchester having their futures so unfairly damaged without taking a stand on their behalf," Mr Burnham continued.

“That is why I am considering all options to challenge this unfair process, including a legal challenge against the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation.”