Education officers are urging students hit by the postal strike to collect their A-level results from school.

Exam board officials have said they will beat the stoppage by sending results to schools by private courier.

But pupils who requested results by post may not get them, even though the strike has ended.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said: "We understand the backlog will be so big that many will not receive their results. "This is an anxious time for pupils. They need to start making plans for university. We urge everyone to go to their school or college to collect them."

* Thousands of pupils were thrown into confusion by a leaflet from Oxford bookseller Blackwell. It said: "Congratulations! You have been offered a place", leading some to believe they had already been offered university places before exam results were known.

It was enclosed with letters from UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, and offered 55 worth of Blackwell vouchers for every 50 spent at the shop. A Blackwell spokesman said: " We apologise for any confusion."