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Festival-goer George Zographou contracts meningitis and dies

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Festival organisers said George Zographou had been unwell in the days before the event

A teenager who became ill with meningitis at a festival has died, public health officials have confirmed.

George Zographou, 18, from Bristol, fell ill at the Boardmasters Surf and Music Festival in Newquay on Friday.

His sister Nicole said on Facebook, "George took his final breaths on Wednesday August 16th at 13.34 all by himself without the machine. The three of us holding his hand."

Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed the teenager's death.

Alex Rawson/Boardmasters Festival BoardmastersAlex Rawson/Boardmasters Festival
Festival-goers in close contact with the teenager have been given antibiotics, as a standard procedure

The teenager, who was a student St Brendan's Sixth Form College was expected to receive his A-level results tomorrow.

The college said it would be getting extra teachers in to support George's friendship group and those who would have known him.

A welfare room would be available for students who were upset and a representative from Public Health England would be be there to answer any concerns, it added.

It has had two confirmed cases of meningococcal infection since the spring of 2016.

The Deputy director of health protection at PHE's South West Health Protection Team, Mike Wade, said his thoughts were with teenager's family.

"We want to reassure people that all appropriate public health actions are being taken," he said.

"We do not believe that this case is related to the previous cases at St. Brendan's because they occurred 14 months ago. Additionally, they had not attended the college since the end of the summer term at the beginning of July."

He said other festival goers, who had been in close contact with the teenager had been given antibiotics as a precaution.

On twitter the school expressed its shock at the news.

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The festival's organisers said their thoughts and sympathies were with Mr Zographou's family and friends.

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The festival ran from Wednesday 9 August to Sunday.