A group of mature students who have progressed from Italian for beginners to studying the language at A Level were among those who received their A Level results.

Ten candidates, aged between 49 and 86 years, have completed either AS or  A2 Level through City of York Council's adult and community education provision.

Sue Maitland, curriculum manager for modern foreign languages for City of York Council, explained: "I have been very impressed with the commitment shown by our adult learners.

"All of our Italian students have done fantastically well to have progressed to A Level standard in such a short space of time. The reasons for studying at this level vary, with some students opting to learn Italian for work purposes. Others have done it for holiday visits or because they are buying property over there.

Italian is one of many courses offered by the council's Adult and Community Education Service. For more information, visit the council's website at www.york.gov.uk