Tributes have been paid to an 18-year-old student who died following a meningitis outbreak in Kent that has also claimed the life of another young person and left several more in hospital.

Juliette Kenny, a year 13 pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, died on Saturday. Her family said they were “beyond devastated”, while her headteacher Amelia McIlroy said: “Juliette was incredibly kind, thoughtful and intelligent… In short, she was a lovely girl – her beautiful smile, her loving nature and her sense of fun will be hugely missed.”

Concern remains across the area as students queued for antibiotics at the University of Kent in Canterbury and some wore face masks while awaiting treatment. Several schools have also confirmed meningitis cases among sixth-form pupils, with those affected receiving hospital care as health officials continue working to identify the strain.