A pupil is in hospital after contracting Strep A, a Kent school has confirmed.

Head teacher of St John's Primary School in Tunbridge Wells has warned parents about the case, which comes after parents were been issued with a rare health alert over rapidly increasing numbers of the infections.

Strep A is believed to have led to the deaths of at least eight children and left hundreds of youngsters unwell.

Bacteria from the group A Streptococcus can cause different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to deadly diseases.

In a letter to parents, Dan Turvey at St John's Primary School, in Cunningham Road, wrote: "You may have heard a lot in the media about an illness circulating called Strep A.

"We now have a confirmed case in the school requiring hospital treatment and I thought it wise to circulate some information about it.

"While still uncommon, there has been an increase in invasive Group A strep cases this year, particularly in children under 10. Currently, there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating. The increase is most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria and social mixing.

"Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Therefore, look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel. On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a sandpapery feel."

Parents were advised to contact NHS 111 or a GP if they suspect their child has scarlet fever, as early treatment with antibiotics can be important to potentially prevent complications including bloodstream infection or pneumonia.

Strep A infections are usually mild and can be easily treated with antibiotics.

Illnesses caused by the Group A strep bacteria include skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.

There has been a big leap in the number of scarlet fever cases.

Infections can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection – though this is rare.