Pupils, teachers and staff flocked in their hundreds for a mass vaccination after a suspected second case of meningitis at a school.

The jabs were on offer at the school hall in Gunters Lane, Bexhill, part of Bexhill High School, on Saturday.

Headteacher Mike Conn said: "Huge amounts of people have taken the offer up and there was a long queue. There were more than 2,000 people there. It wasn't just pupils and teachers but other staff as well, such as canteen staff.

"The treatment will draw a line under most of the concerns and hopefully the half term will provide space for people to go away and reflect."

Mr Conn said he believed he was right to have kept the school open last week after the death of 16-year-old Francesca Ward.

He praised parents and medical teams for their co-operation.

A spokeswoman for the East Sussex Primary Care Trust said: "There seems to have been a very good take up."

Nurses and vaccine administrators staffed 20 stations in the hall.

Pharmacists and public health doctors were also on hand to offer advice to parents, pupils and staff.

The decision to provide the jabs against meningitis was made after Francesca died from the B strain of the infection last week.

A second suspected case caused healthcare professionals to describe the incident as an outbreak.

Year 9 pupil Jason Brett-Andrews, 14, continues to battle what is believed to be another case at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings today.

He is said to be making good progress and is out of danger.

More than 2,000 pupils and staff at Bexhill High School, its nursery and King Offa Primary School were expected to be treated over the weekend but health workers have not ruled out the possibility of further cases coming to light.

Letters have been sent home to parents urging them to look out for symptoms of meningococcal septicaemia, which include severe headache, stiff neck, fever, vomiting, drowsiness, discomfort from bright lights and a red/purple rash or spots which do not turn white when pressed.

The school broke up for half-term on Friday.

Anyone worried about the bug can contact the National Meningitis Trust's 24-hour helpline on 0845 6000800.