Oxford's two universities are preparing battle plans to protect Students from the deadly meningitis bug.

As students gear up to start the new term, universities have stepped up policies to wage war against the disease.

Nationally over the last four years the number of cases among people of university age has increased four-fold.

Last November a huge scare at Southampton University highlighted the problem after six people caught the disease and three students died.

Both Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University have been liaising with Oxfordshire Health Authority and other relevant bodies to draw up "incident control plans".

These involve making sure information on meningitis is readily available to all the college's, especially targeting new students.

Students will be briefed on what symptoms to look for and what do to if symptoms present themselves.

There will be information stands set up on campus and leaflets handed out to students. If an outbreak does happen, both universities have emergency procedures to deal with it, such as vaccination programmes and possible quarantine.

A spokesman for Oxford University said: "The colleges have doctors and nurses attached to them and we ensure students are aware of the early warning signs."

"This is something we have been looking at very carefully and stepping up procedures.

A spokesman for Oxford Brookes added: "We would advise all students to look out for the information and register it.

"They should also register with a doctor and if they are unwell enough to be in bed tell someone so they can keep an eye on them.

"We hope there won't be any incidents but we are prepared if they should happen."she added

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