A parent of a student at a Braintree school has had swine flu symptoms it has emerged, and follows the town’s first two suspected cases.

Last Friday Alec Hunter Humanities College in Stubbs Lane heard a parent who had recently travelled from the Far East was displaying signs of swine flu.

Headteacher Andrew Hutchinson said “as a precaution” the father’s child stayed at home that day, but he did not know if they were back at school.

This follows two suspected swine flu cases among Braintree Council employees, reported in The Braintree and Witham Times last week.

Mr Hutchinson said from his understanding “nothing has been confirmed” with the pupil.

“It’s just a question of if people are ill parents are obviously going to be doing what they see fit and right to do,” he said.

The Government is now advising people to diagnose their own symptoms, before calling their GP if they are still concerned, and it is not currently recommended schools shut.

Mr Hutchinson said: “All we have done is take precautions, the usual hygiene. We are following exactly what the Government has sent to us.”

Chairman of governors at Alec Hunter Chris Green said he really did not think swine flu was a “big deal.”

“I’m more worried about people like me who has diabetes and cardio-vascular problems and people like me who may be vulnerable. It’s more of a risk,” he said.

Swine flu, a new strain of Influenza A (H1N1), was confirmed in the UK in April and has spread to more than 100 countries.

Symptoms tend to be mild, though with a small number of patients - many who have other underlying health conditions - the illness will be more serious.