PUPILS and their parents have been told to stay calm after a meningitis alert at a New Forest school.

A 13-year-old pupil at Priestlands School, Lymington, was rushed to hospital with the most dangerous form of the potentially fatal brain disease.

However, in a letter to parents, headteacher Chris Willshire says the public health department has advised the school that no action is needed.

The letter says: "Only those who have had prolonged close contact with the pupil are at greater risk of getting ill. These people have been identified and given antibiotics."

Mr Willshire says people in the "at risk" category do not include the student's friends, classmates and acquaintances.

However, the letter tells parents how to spot meningitis and advises them to contact their GP if family members show any of the symptoms.

These include a high fever, stiffness in the neck, a severe headache and a dislike of bright light.

Mr Willshire told the Daily Echo that the pupil was responding to treatment. None of the other children had displayed signs of the disease. "There is no risk to the rest of our student population," he said.

Meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, can be caused by bacteria or a virus.

The Priestlands student developed bacterial meningitis, which is more dangerous than the viral form of the disease.