A renowned magician has attributed his passion for magic to his years at Havering Colleges’ Sixth Form.

Jake Banfield, who studied for his A Levels at the college from 2004 to 2006, said crowds would gather during lunchtimes to watch his card tricks, mind-reading and floating object illusion.

The Hornchurch-born magician said: “The college was the perfect place to practise.

“It taught me how to get and keep people’s attention and how to interact with an audience.

“Magic was really helpful in bringing me out of my shell and communicating.”

The former Sanders Draper School student is a member of international magic society The Magic Circle, and his Sprezzatura show ran at central London’s Charlotte Street Hotel.

Jake has been hosting an online magic course during the most recent lockdown and now hopes to take his magic show to the next level by hiring a director and creative team.

To find out more about Jake’s online magic course or his shows, visit www.jakebanfield.com.