TWO Bury colleges were praised by the Prime Minister during a celebration at Downing Street.

Gordon Brown held the event to mark the success of the country’s highest performing and most improved colleges.

Lauran Chatburn, principal of Bury College, and David Frost, principal of Holy Cross College, were invited to attend the celebration.

Also on the guest list was Mr Brown, Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson, and Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education. Mr Brown said “These colleges are among the very best and most improving in the country and I am hugely impressed by their commitment to helping people get the skills, the training and inspiration to achieve their full potential.

“The principals, staff and students should be very proud of their achievements and I am delighted to celebrate their success here in Downing Street.”

Mrs Chatburn said: “I feel honoured to be principal of an outstanding further education college.”

Mr Frost said: “As a college with a distinctive ethos, we were also pleased to see the high number of other Catholic colleges that were invited — alongside other outstanding institutions like Bury College which also take ethos very seriously.”