A young accountant beat off competition from more than 10,000 students to receive the highest exam mark in the world.

Fabian Harrington-Poireau, of Burrows Road, Earls Colne, was amazed to be told his 95 per cent score in his latest test was the best of all the people taking it.

The 22-year-old, who is working at the Richard Edwards Group LLP office in Rosemary Lane, Halstead, had taken a week off to revise for the exam.

He said: “I am over the moon.

“It is kind of hard to visualise, it is just crazy, I didn’t think I would get it.

“I have done well in exams before but this is on another level.”