THE principal of Preston College, Michael Clegg, will retire at Christmas after more than 30 years' service to education.

For the past 15 years Mr Clegg has led the St Vincent's Road college from strength to strength and it is now one of the largest teaching establishments in the country.

To mark his years of dedicated service Mr Clegg was invited to open a new A-level building named in his honour.

The Michael Clegg Building, opened last month, will cater for a student population which has swelled to more than 23,000.

A spokesman for the college said: "This gesture aims to serve as a lasting reminder and thanks for his commitment and determination to high quality, diverse and accessible education in the Preston area.

It is to his huge credit that he has sustained his excitement and passed it on to hundreds of other people." After graduating from Durham University, Mr Clegg took up a teaching post at a school in Leeds. He worked at colleges in Darlington and Nottingham before taking over as principal at Preston -- then named W R Tuson College -- in January, 1987.

At that time the college had 12,000 students, less than a third of its current enrolment, with around 800 members of staff compared to more than 1,000 today.

As a keen rower Mr Clegg has also been an active member of the Tertiary Colleges' Association, a board member of the Association of Colleges and the national president of the Association of College Managers.

Mr Clegg will be replaced by Stuart Ingleson, a former vice principal of the college who has returned to Preston.