A high-flying Mullion School student has been congratulated on a "fantastic achievement" after gaining one of the highest marks in the country for his science GCSE exam.

James Freeman, from Cadgwith, was among the top ten students nationwide, out of a total entry of more than 73,400 candidates.

Dr Boyd King, head of science at Mullion, said: "The whole department is really pleased for James. He has always been a great all-round student and this is a fantastic achievement for him."

It is the second year running that Mullion School has entered the top ten for science. Last year, two students - Hazel Brickhill and Susie King - were both among the highest achievers in the country.

James, who gained a total of nine A* grades in his GCSEs, was also congratulated on a "tremendous achievement" by Jerry Jarvis, managing director of Edexcel, the UK's largest awarding body.

A further tribute came from Mullion School headteacher Mike Sandford, who said: "Our results this year have been the best ever, but this is just the cream on top of the cake.

"James fully deserved this success and I am delighted that the science department has had their hard work recognised in this unique way."