AN East Lancashire teachers' leader has slammed those responsible for the furore over A-level exam results, as headteachers warned GCSEs might be flawed too.

Their claim followed allegations that many this summer's A-level papers were downgraded.

Simon Jones, divisional secretary of Blackburn with Darwen National Union of Teachers and a member of the national executive, said: "Exam results should be a celebration of youngsters' achievement.

"Instead, we are beset by problems."

The National Association of Head Teachers said it was gathering evidence that entries in GCSE music, English literature and English language had been affected by "slipshod marking".

NAHT general secretary David Hart said his members believed poor performance, not malpractice, on the part of examiners was behind these "very strange results".

He did not yet have enough information to say which boards were being held responsible.

Meanwhile, Blackburn College has returned 15 students' A-level papers for re-marking as the dispute over downgrading spread.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Queen Elizabeth's Grammar and Westholme schools in Blackburn and Stonyhurst College had sent back the work of more than 40 sixth-formers.

Dr Alan Kearvell, head of sixth-form studies at Blackburn College, said: "There appears to have been a very clumsy attempt to change the criteria.

"We have some cases where, based on many years of experience, we judged students to be A-grade candidates and yet their coursework came back marked U, which is a fail.

"One student achieved five As in theory and a U on the coursework."

Helen Reece, deputy head at St Wilfrid's High School in Blackburn, said they had asked for 'whole centre' re-marks for sociology and key skills papers.