Students from Hong Kong boarding at Malvern schools have had their holidays at home cut short because of the concerns surrounding severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The heads at Malvern Girls' College and Malvern College, their medical staff and the local public health authority officer met to discuss what precautions should be taken.

The World Health Organisation said it had been notified of 3,293 cases of Sars with 159 deaths.

It also said 1,548 people had recovered from the disease.

Phillippa Leggate, headmistress at Malvern Girls' College, said the school was "particularly relieved to receive confirmation that 'current information suggests that children are at low risk from SARS'".

As long as boarders from either school stay free of symptoms they are no risk to other pupils.

Return next week

The schools broke up at the end of March and pupils are due to return next week.

The schools have asked parents living in Hong Kong and other countries with outbreaks of SARS to consider making sure their child returned to the UK at the weekend.

By staying with family guardians or friends they could guarantee a safe quarantine period before term begins.

"A number of parents did make arrangement for their girls to stay in the UK over Easter," said Jane Potter, of Malvern Girls' College, Avenue Road.

"The girls weren't very happy at having to stay. All our overseas girls have to have a guardian over here. Some have gone back to Hong Kong and there's a procedure in place for screening when they come back."

Any students returning to the two independent schools from countries such as Hong Kong or Singapore will be asked to complete a form giving details of all their holiday movements and contacts. They will be examined for symptoms and have their temperatures taken.

They will also be monitored by the schools' health centres on a daily basis as recommended by the Public Health Authority.

Term is due to begin as normal at both schools on Tuesday, April 22.