CASES of Scarlet fever are running at three times the level of last year, disturbing new figures show.

Public Health England (PHE) said there have been 302 cases in Wessex in the "season" from September to March, compared with 119 in the same period last year.

Across England there have been roughly 6,000 confirmed cases since September. It is the second season in a row with “exceptionally high numbers” according to Public Health England, after last year saw the highest number of cases since the 1960s - more than 14,000 - instead of the average of up to 4,000.

This common childhood infection is us usually mild and can be treated with antibiotics, although there is there is a small risk of the infection spreading to other parts of the body, such as the ear, sinuses and lungs.

The NHS advice is that early symptoms include a sore throat, headache, and fever with the characteristic red pinhead rash that feels like sandpaper to touch appearing after 12 to 48 hours.

Other symptoms may include:

Swollen neck glands

Loss of appetite

Nausea or vomiting

Red lines in the folds of the body, such as the armpit.

A white coating on the tongue, which peels a few days later leaving the tongue red and swollen

A general feeling of being unwell