A mum has paid tribute to her 11-year-old son who died just two days after showing the first signs of meningitis.

Andrew Tapper died at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital on Thursday after doctors diagnosed the symptoms of the bacterial form of the disease — meningococcal.

Mother Jenny Essex, 43, said: "He was an absolute sweetheart, he would do anything for anyone and everyone loved him.

"He was so kind-hearted and was always helping others. You don't know how you are going to feel when something like this happens.

"Unless you've been through it yourself you can't describe how you are feeling."

Miss Essex said her son came home to Bretch Hill, Banbury, from a day at his school — North Oxfordshire Academy — saying he felt unwell.

She thought Andrew was just suffering from a bug and explained he did not show any of the symptoms of meningitis.

"He had meningitis two years ago, so I knew what to look out for. But he did not have a rash, a stiff neck and he did not mind light," she said.

The next day Andrew appeared to get better and the sickness stopped, according to his stepfather Brian Buller, 46.

He said: "I work nights and when I got home on the Wednesday he got into bed with me, he had a bit of a temperature, so we put a cold cloth on his head and he seemed to pick up a bit."

But Andrew collapsed at about 3am on Thursday morning and was taken by ambulance to the Horton Hospital. He was transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital where he later died.

Miss Essex, who is due to give birth to her third son in eight weeks time, said: "I was thinking to myself, 'not again'. I kept thinking eventually he will get better, but this time he didn't."

A minute's silence was held for Andrew at the Lakeside Superbowl, in the Cherwell Centre, in Banbury, on Saturday where the 11-year-old played in a bowling league. Andrew also had a brother — Kieran, 14.

Ben Hayes, manager of the bowling alley, said: "He was a fantastic lad, absolutely superb and everyone here knew him.

"The staff have been hit very hard by the news."

*The form of meningitis which claimed the life of Andrew Tapper — meningococcal — is the bacterial form of the disease.

It is much less common than the viral form and not passed on as easily. It almost always occurs as an isolated case.

Around 200 people die every year in the UK from meningococcal.

The symptoms are exactly the same as for the viral form. They include a high fever, stiffness in the neck, drowsiness or confusion, headaches, a dislike of bright lights and red or purple bruise-like spots that do not fade under pressure.

Babies can sometimes have pale or blotchy skin and can have a high-pitched, moaning cry.

A way of testing a rash to see if it might be meningitis is to place a glass over it and apply pressure. If the rash does not fade, contact your doctor immediately. For more details go to meningitis-trust.org.uk