A STUDENT from a county boarding school was taken to hospital at the weekend suspected of having the deadly virus Sars.

The Malvern Girls' College pupil, who returned from Hong Kong on Tuesday, was being monitored for Sars - severe acute respiratory syndrome - when her temperature was found to have risen.

She was taken to Birmingham Heartland Hospital, after a recommendation by South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, where she stayed for 24 hours.

She was given the all-clear and, today, was back at the £6,000-a-term school, which says no quarantine arrangements were necessary.

"We do not have a case of Sars but the actions we have taken show how seriously we are taking precautions," said Malvern Girls' College's headmistress Phillippa Leggate.

"We are consulting the public health authority on a daily basis and I have written to parents and will do so again soon. However, any parent feeling particularly concerned is very welcome to call me."

The parent of another pupil said he was very concerned and would consider taking his daughter out of school if any cases were confirmed.

"Why are the girls from Hong Kong being allowed to walk around Malvern?" demanded the man, who did not want to be named.

"They should have been isolated. My son goes to Eton, and there all the boys from the Far East have been isolated for 14 days."

The school has been working closely with health officers and two other Malvern boarding schools - Malvern College and St James's and The Abbey School - to deal with the issue of Sars.