THREE schoolchildren have received hospital treatment in a meningitis alert at two Torbay schools.

Two year nine youngsters at St Cuthbert Mayne school in Torquay have been confirmed with meningococcal B infection.

One of the students remains in hospital and is responding well to treatment.

The other student has been discharged and has returned to school.

A third child, a student at Torquay Community College has been admitted to hospital with a confirmed case of a different strain of the meningococcal B infection.

Health experts say there is no link between the cases at the two schools.

Meningitis UK has an online checklist of symptoms

Dr Geoff Thould, from the Health Protection Agency's SW (South) Health Protection Unit said: "We understand this will be a worrying time for parents, but we would like to reassure them that risk to their children is low."

HPA staff attended St Cuthbert Mayne on Wednesday to offer antibiotics to 190 year nine students who may have been in contact with the ill youngsters.

They are designed to contain the spread of infection.

Head teacher Cathy Gilfillan said that the school will remain open as usual.

She said: "We have sent letters out to parents to inform them of the situation and advised them of symptoms to look out for.

"And we have stayed in contact with the parents of the sick children and are pleased with their recovery."

She said that antibiotics were being offered to year nine students as a precaution.

The HPA is not offering medication to children outside of the year group or children at Torquay Community College.

All parents have been informed and told of symptoms to look out for.

Dr Thould said: "The advice of the medical specialists is to maintain the school routine. There is no reason to keep children away from school or other activities.

"We are not offering antibiotics to any other St Cuthbert Mayne year groups at this time because there is no evidence that the meningitis bacterium is circulating wider than year nine.

"In any event, early treatment is always the best defence against meningitis, so parents should make sure they are aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis."

Most children will have received vaccination against the Group C strain of meningococcal infection.

There is no vaccine available for the more common Group B strain, so vigilance for symptoms is required.