Lutterworth College has sent letters home to parents to let them know and to advise them to keep their children at home if they suspect they are suffering from the illness.

The letter says that the college will remain open during the last week of term and no lessons or exams would be affected.

College principal Eddie de Middelaer said the report came into the college on Friday (July 3) and a decision was made to write to parents rather than allow rumours to spread.

Speaking to the Mail, Mr de Middelaer said: "At the moment this is only a suspected case.

"We contacted the Health Protection Agency for advice, and GP surgeries in the area, and they advised us to keep the school open but to write to parents to let them know what was happening.

"The case was reported to us by a parent. They did all the right things by contacting us with the information and keeping their child away from the school."

Mr de Middelaer said a copy of the letter was also sent to Lutterworth High School, so parents there could be informed as well.
The letter sent home to parents offers the following advice:

*If your child has cold or flu-like symptoms, please keep them away from College; take the advice of your GP and let us know the outcome in terms of whether it is a case of flu. Your GP will give you all the medical advice you require.

*Students who are in school and have cold or flu-like symptoms will be identified and kept here until you can come and collect them for us in order for you to refer to your GP, as we operate a "no-risk" policy as suggested to us by the HPA.

*We still advise all students to wash their hands regularly, use a tissue to prevent spread of the virus by coughing or sneezing and to bin tissues when they have been used once.

The Health Protection Agency says that patients reporting flu symptoms will no longer be swabbed to test whether they have swine flu because most cases reported in the UK so far have been mild.

Instead, patients are being advised to see their GP, remain at home and they will be given antivirals to manage the illness.

For more information, visit www.hpa.org.uk.