STUDENTS have been left heartbroken with the news that the majority of the Hartford college campus will close from September.

Warrington and Vale Royal College has announced that the site will close at the end of this academic year, with the exception of two course subjects – engineering and electrical installation.

It follows the merger of Mid Cheshire College with Warrington Collegiate in August last year.

Students now being asked to travel to Winsford and Warrington are left pondering whether to continue with their education, and many say that they would have turned down further education in hindsight.

Melissa Driver, 17, a performing arts student, will now have to travel to Warrington if she chooses to continue her course next year.

She said: “The majority of us found out through Facebook or on the Guardian website and that was the real kick in the teeth. They hadn’t had the guts to tell us properly. We have just been left in the dark with the whole thing.

“Education and the students’ best interests have not been put first here.

“The only college available to people in Northwich now is Sir John Deane’s. It’s a good college, but they don’t offer vocational courses.

“So, if I was making the decision now on whether to go into further education, I wouldn’t do it, knowing that I’d have to travel to Warrington. There will be young people in Northwich now being discouraged from following the career path they want.”

Tamarah Lamb, 20, who also studies performing arts, is worried that she has wasted three years studying at Hartford and will not be able to travel to Warrington every day.

Tamarah said: “When I saw the Guardian article my heart sank. I have worked extremely hard and have spent the vast proportion of my time and energy at the Hartford campus for the past three years.

“The only local college left in Northwich would be Sir John Deane’s. I did a year there (lower sixth) and it wasn’t for me as there was so much focus on the theory side of the courses, including the creative arts courses.

"I left to go to Mid Cheshire because I thrived in more vocational courses, so I can learn my industry practically through performing and being hands on.

“How are we supposed to learn and thrive if we can’t physically and financially get to Warrington each day?

“I travel from Winsford to Hartford and before the merger last year, students paid £70 for a bus pass. It then went up to £450. I asked if I could use the free bus service and was told no because I’m an independent learner.

“So I’ve had to pay £450 over the year to get to college every day. Now that I’m being told I will have to travel to Warrington, is that cost going to increase? And will there be more independent learners who did not have to use the bus before now having to pay hundreds of pounds?”

The college says it is ‘exploring the cost of offering independent learners some assistance with travel to the Warrington and Winsford campus’.