IT was an early start for hundreds of nervous teenagers today as they collected A-level results, with schools and colleges across the town handing out results at 8am for the first time.

And Warrington bucked the national trend with performance up compared to last year.

Results saw 75.5 per cent get A* - C grades, up from 70.2 per cent in 2011.

Students who achieved three or more A* - C's was up to 48.1 per cent, compared to 42.9 per cent last year.

And the overall pass rate for grades A - E was at 99 per cent.

Nationally there has been a drop in the number of A* and A grades with 26.6 per cent of students achieving the top two grades - down 27 per cent from last year.

But at many schools in Warrington results were good.

Clr Colin Froggatt, executive board member for children and young people's services, said: "I and everyone at the council are very pleased with the outstanding results our young minds have achieved once again this year.

"Our interim results indicate that Warrington continues to be a borough where the very highest quality of education is provided and we wish all our students the best of luck for the future."

Many teenagers were looking forward to university, despite £9,000 tuition fees starting in September.

Some swapped success stories, result papers clutched tightly, while others broke down as they opened envelopes to find disappointing grades.

Others who only just missed out on needed grades were calling universities to see if they had been accepted.