There was a mixture of pleasure and pain for pupils receiving their A-level results in Didcot.

While many were celebrating the best results in 18 years, stress levels at Didcot sixth forms soared when exam results failed to arrive.

Chris Bryan, head teacher at St Birinus The joint Didcot Girls' School-St Birinus Boys School sixth form was among more than 300 schools whose results did not arrive until late yesterday morning.

And St Birinus headteacher Chris Bryan said he was extremely concerned because the results from EdExcel arrived in an envelope which was so damaged that it was "virtually shredded".

Jeannette Hebbert, headteacher at Didcot Girls' School, said staff from the Royal Mail sorting office at Didcot at 9.15am. But the remainder still had not arrived in town.

The missing results were eventually delivered at 11.30am.

The two headteachers said they were lodging formal complaints with the Royal Mail.