THE mother of an 11-year-old boy who has swine flu has hit out at the stigma of the illness being "worse than the plague’.

Marie Pervaiz said since her son Qaasim, a pupil at Hyndburn Park Primary School, Accrington, was confirmed as having the illness the family had been shunned.

She said: “My youngest son Adil (eight) has been given a hard time by his friends and even neighbours have been very unkind.

“You can hear people saying ‘don't go near them’ or ‘you've got a disease’ but there is no need to worry.

“The stigma of saying you have swine flu is horrendous. It is just a summer flu and no worse, it is not as if he has the plague. Qaasim is absolutely fine and he will be back at school next week.

“The reaction of some people has been very upsetting. He is now back to his normal self.”

Mrs Pervaiz, who lives with her family in Norfolk Grove, Church, said the upset caused by people in the local community had been ‘far worse’ than the actual illness.

Bosses at Hyndburn Park Primary School, Park Lane, and the Health protection Agency are expected to allow Qaasim back to lessons next week when his five-day course of Tamiflu ends.

Mrs Pervaiz said she was still mystified as to how her son picked up the virus.

Qaasim, who is in the scouts and local football and boxing clubs, was removed from classes after becoming ‘very ill’ on Thursday. He was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital and at first it was feared that he had meningitis.

It was only on Saturday that he was tested for swine flu and discharged.

On Sunday the illness was confirmed following tests in Manchester.

He is currently being looked after at his home where he has recovered well.

The Health Protection Agency was immediately informed after Qaasim was confirmed as having swine flu and the hospital trust has identified all of the children and staff he came into contact with.