Top UK universities have thousands of unfilled places before A-level results

More school leavers likely to gain places as survey finds higher number of vacancies advertised through clearing

The UK's leading universities have thousands of undergraduate places unfilled a week before A-level results are published, meaning more school leavers are likely to gain places than in recent years.

A survey by the Press Association found that members of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities were advertising nearly 3,900 vacancies on courses for domestic undergraduates starting in autumn, compared with 2,000 at this point last year.