Gifted maths pupil, aged 9, becomes youngest flu victim

♦ A nine-year-old pupil who was gifted at maths has become the youngest victim of the winter flu outbreak, it emerged last night.

Public Health England confirmed a Year 5 pupil at school in the Exeter area of Devon had died. He had tested positive for the virus.

Dr Bayad Nozad, consultant in health protection, said: “We are aware of the very sad death of a young person who was confirmed to have had influenza infection.” It is believed he died this week at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

Paying tribute to the boy, who has not been named, his head teacher said: “At this time of unimaginable loss our love, thoughts and prayers are with his family – your special little boy brought so much to our school and it is so very sad that he is no longer with us.”

His death comes after it emerged that three times as many people died of flu last week in the UK compared with the same time last year.