A MENINGITIS alert at an Accrington school has proved to be a false alarm.

Hollins High School has been given the all clear after it was found a pupil is not suffering from the potentially killer virus.

Head teacher Mr Frank Havard said: "The school has been in touch with the parents and is pleased to be able to report it was not a form of meningitis. It was in fact septacaemia resulting from an infection due to a small cut in the foot," he added.

The girl is still in Queen's Park Hospital and is reported to be making a good recovery.

Mr Havard said: "It is a relief. These things do cause stress and strain and worry for parents."

As a precaution parents were last week sent a checklist of symptoms to look out for when it was suspected the pupil had a form of meningitis septacaemia, a less dangerous form of the virus.

Mr Havard said: "We were erring on the side of caution. I will now be writing to parents again to say it was not a form of meningitis."

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