Third meningitis death hits North

A baby has become the third youngster to die of meningitis in the north east of England in the past week, it was disclosed last night.

Seven-month-old Mark Casey, of Sunderland, died in Newcastle General hospital a week after being admitted with meningococcal septicaemia. His mother Caroline said: "He just came out in blotches all over. They gave him a scan and said he had two lumps on his brain."