A YORK student fears his chances of breaking into a job in computers could have been blown by the closure of the York Business College.

Four months ago Mark Townend forked out £2,000 for a computer course at the training centre - which has now gone into liquidation.

Mr Townend, 25, of Tadcaster Road, enrolled at the college to fulfil an ambition of landing employment in information technology.

Now he fears that opportunity has gone, and he has been left with a career development loan which must be repaid.

Mr Townend said: "We were never given any real indication that anything was going on. If I hadn't been at college last week, I might never have found out it was going to close.

"I only enrolled in December and started the course in February. I paid out of my own pocket.

"It was all about kick-starting a career in information technology, now I feel like I have been kicked in the teeth.

"I am going to keep my books and I am trying to do one exam as quickly as possible, but I am completely disgruntled."

A total of 24 jobs were lost when the college, one of York's best known business training establishments, went into liquidation.

The college was a training focus for some of York's biggest employers, including Norwich Union and Nestl.

A creditors' meeting is to be held at its Riverside House headquarters on May 21.

But Mr Townend fears he may have already lost his "considerable" investment.

He said: "I was relying on this as a stepping stone. I am really angry about what has happened.

"I don't know what to do, but I am sure that there are other people out there in the same, or worse, position as myself."

Updated: 09:55 Monday, May 05, 2003