AN EMERGENCY meeting is being held at South Kent College in Folkestone this afternoon following the death of two students from meningitis.

The students who died were Jolene Swift, 19, of Sydney Road, Walmer, near Deal, who was studying at the Folkestone campus, and Ryan Cross, 18, from Whitfield, who was studying at the Ashford campus. Jolene was a former Deal Regatta princess.

It is hoped the meeting will be able to reassure parents and students about the risks of the infection and to inform them on signs of the disease to look out for.

Representatives from the East Kent Health Authority are expected to be on hand to give advice.

Jolene died in hospital at the weekend from meningoccocal septicaemia, the most dangerous strain of the disease. Ryan died on January 4.

The college has said that as far as it knows the students had not been in contact with each other. It also said that it is not unusual to have two cases of meningitis at this time of year. All close contacts have been given preventative antibiotics.

Meningitis germs live in the back of the nose and throat of 10 per cent of the population. Many people are carriers, without ever knowing.

Jolene's mother, Donna, said: "I feel I have died with her." The teenager was due to have celebrated her 20th birthday in April.

John Trickey, chairman of Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown Regatta Association, paid tribute to the former carnival princess.

"My thoughts go out to Jolene's family. She was a princess in every sense of the word and a beautiful girl. She had such a sense of humour and was such fun, so full of life and joy. Her death is devastating and heart-wrenching news."

David Goodlet, acting principle for South Kent College said: "We are working closely with Dr Chandrakumar, clinical director of the Kent Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection Unit, to ensure our students are all given up-to-date information." Dr Chandrakumar has agreed to hold special vaccination clinics at the Folkestone/Ashford/Dover sites.

Student Charraine Ashby, 21, from Folkestone, who will be attending one of the clinics said: "It is a bit daunting to know that meningitis is going around but people are not panicking and the college has acted quickly in giving us information."

Another student, Georgina Drake, 17, from Kennington, said: "I had the vaccine at school and if the college hadn't taken the action so quickly I think a lot of people would have been worried but everything is being done to reassure us."