Family celebrates double degrees

The pair said they were inspired by their father and husband

A mother and daughter have both graduated with the same degree from the same university.

Amrat Bhogal, 43, and Gurpreet, 21, of Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, both completed the three-year BSc optometry course at Aston University.

They said they were inspired to take the degree by their father and husband Jaswant, who works in the field.

Mrs Bhogal will work alongside her husband in the West Midlands while her daughter has a job in Warwickshire.

Ms Bhogal said she and her mother sat next to each other in lectures and had lunch together.

'Support invaluable'

She said: "My mum and I are like sisters, rather than mother and daughter, so I didn't feel uncomfortable about us taking the same course together.

Her mother said: "Gurpreet and I didn't plan to enrol on the same course together at the same time - it just happened like that.

"We've always had a great relationship and, although I gave her the space I thought she needed, the support we gave each other throughout the three years was invaluable. "

Mrs Bhogal will work at the family business, Pickford Opticians in Brierley Hill, while her daughter will join Specsavers in Rugby for a one-year pre-registration period before qualifying.