Shock death of Dedworth Middle School pupil from bacterial meningitis

A letter to parents sent out by headteacher Stuart Muir on Wednesday, December 4 revealed that Kaspar Reinula died suddenly the evening before.

It is understood he had attended school normally that day.

Mr Muir's letter said the suddenness of the loss of Kaspar has come as a great shock to the whole school.

He described Kaspar, who is believed to have been 12, as a 'fine young man', saying: "He was incredibly intelligent, creative, witty, hard working, always smiling and always keen to help and support others - a real credit to both his family and school."

A statement by the Royal Borough which is responsible for the school in Smiths Lane said that an educational psychology team had gone into the school to support distressed friends of Kaspar.

Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed that the cause of death was bacterial meningitis.

A statement by Rob Nicholls from PHE said: "Close household contacts have already been identified and offered antibiotics as a precaution. Letters have been sent to parents of children attending the school informing them of the situation and reassuring them that the risk of any further cases in extremely low."

Meningococcal bacteria are carried in the back of the throat of about one in 10 people and rarely cause illness. They do not spread easily, although people who have close contact with the person with meningitis/septicaemia are at slightly greater risk.

Symptoms of the illness include fever, vomiting, severe headache, stiff neck and dislike of bright light.

The illness can take one or two days to develop but can also progress very rapidly in a matter of hours.

Friends of Kaspar have been leaving messages of sadness and regret on a tribute Facebook page.

If you knew Kaspar and want to leave a message, please do so in the comments box below.