SUFFOLK students had A-levels regraded after exam board bunglers destroyed their papers.The two Northgate students finally got the grades they deserved after a lengthy paper trail ended with the exam board admitting work had been shredded.

SUFFOLK students had A-levels regraded after exam board bunglers destroyed their papers.

The two Northgate students finally got the grades they deserved after a lengthy paper trail ended with the exam board admitting work had been shredded.

But a spokesman for much-maligned Edexcel denied any wrongdoing by the board.

He insisted the board was unaware the two geography papers had been registered for regrades and said they had been destroyed as a matter of routine.

The decision to hike grades ends a near-nine month torment for the students concerned after their exams were entered for regrades following the summer A-level fiasco.

Northgate headteacher Neil Watts paid tribute to exams officer Bob Eggleton for pursuing Edexcel.

He said: "His persistence and thoroughness are legendary and his work is just part of Northgate's after school service."

Mr Watts said the two geography exams were enclosed with a number of business studies papers.

When comments started coming about the business exams without any feedback on the geography papers, alarm bells started ringing.

But the Northgate head stopped short of criticising the board concerned.

He said: "I am pleased to see common sense has prevailed and I am delighted that the candidates received the grades they deserved."

A parent of one of the affected Northgate students, who did not wish to be named, said: "I'm glad it's all been sorted out, for the sake of the CV if nothing else.

"But the point is that the magical moment when you open that little envelope on results day has been taken away.

"It's been ruined for my child and thousands of other children around the country."