SEVERAL inches of snow was no match for West Somerset Community College principal Gaynor Comber when it came to ensuring her students sat their GCSE science papers as planned.

She enlisted the help of experienced 4x4 driver and motor vehicle studies teacher Chris Wright (pictured) to personally deliver exam papers to students stranded in the more remote areas of the district last week.

The pair took the papers to Dulverton Middle School, where headteacher Jerry Weedon had agreed to let the college students sit their GCSE science exam under full exam conditions.

In all, eight students were supervised and supported by staff at the middle school who had been fully briefed in the examination regulations and requirements.

According to exam rules, papers can only be opened in the presence of the students taking the exams.

And despite both main routes into Dulverton from Minehead being either snowed in or iced up, Mrs Comber and Mr Wright managed to get to the middle school to hand over the papers.

Mrs Comber said: "The success of our students is central to everything we do - it is unfair for students to miss out simply due to the weather.

"The co-operation of Jerry Weedon and all his staff at Dulverton was crucial and I would like to thank him and his team for their help in enabling students to sit their exams at Dulverton despite these extreme weather conditions."

Photo: Steve Quantick