Harlow MP Robert Halfon has praised Harlow College after the Government announced that it has been ranked number one for long courses out of the 223 further education colleges across the UK.

Mr Halfon, who is a regular visitor to the college, said: “This is fantastic news. In terms of getting the top grades, Harlow College was ranked number two for all its students - making it one of the very best places in Britain not only to study, but to do well.”

He added: “These results are a real credit to Colin Hindmarch (the college principal), the staff and teachers, and all the students and their parents. They are really putting Harlow on the map.

“Having such a successful college may also help to explain why youth unemployment has been falling in our town since 2009, and why the number of apprenticeships locally has increased by 73 per cent.

“Ignore the critics who want to talk Harlow down. These results prove that we can compete with the best and brightest not just from Essex, but from the whole country.”