TEENAGERS at a Tottenham college have been celebrating after collecting their A-Level results today.

Tense students walked through the gates of Haringey Sixth Form Centre in White Hart Lane this morning – with many waiting to find out if they got the grades to secure university places or vocational courses.

But many were soon smiling as 52 per cent of students at the college – which has been open for four years – achieved grades from A* – C, up from 42 per cent last year.

Among them was Tola Ariyo, 18, who will read law at the London School of Economics after getting 2 A*s and a B in History, Politics and Law.

The budding barrister said: “I'm over the moon and delighted – I did even better than I thought I was going to.

“I first wanted to become a barrister so I could use the opportunity to help people, but now I'm becoming more interested in the academic side of it – I might go into teaching.”

Another happy student was 19-year-old Ermanda Shala, who got three distinctions in her BTEC National Diploma in public service.

Miss Shala, who has been working as a part-time police officer and was involved in policing last week's riots, got the grades to get into a Criminology and Sociology degree at City University London.

The Kosovan said: “It's absolutely brilliant and I'm really happy with the result.

“My aim now is to work full-time as a police officer, which I start in three weeks, while I do my degree.”

The results are the fourth year-on-year increase for the college, which opened in September 2007 with purpose-built facilities as a result of Government funding.

Principal June Jarrett said: “We are absolutely delighted for the students who have done really well.

“For us, this is about what showing what the people of Tottenham are all about after the bad news last week and all the negative connotations of that.

“This is what the young people of Tottenham are really like.”

There were delays and confusion over results throughout much of the morning after the UCAS Track website – where teenagers find out if they have got their university places – was taken down after demand soared above capacity.