A UNIVERSITY is launching a website for students in a bid to beat meningitis.

The University of Teesside will launch the site this week, during its Meningitis Awareness Week.

Based on a design by a computing graduate, Scott Layton, it aims to highlight the symptoms of the illness and give advice on treatment.

The site, which can be accessed at http://meningitis.tees.ac.uk, will be launched tomorrow by the university's vice-chancellor, Professor Derek Fraser, and George Selmer, president of the students' union.

Jean Hall, the university's student health advisor, said it seemed the ideal way of communicating important information.

"We wanted to have an accessible means of communicating with staff and students in the event of an outbreak of meningitis on campus and Scott's design was the most user-friendly," she said.

Mr Layton, who now works as an analyst and programmer, said: "My priority was to make it look appealing, especially to freshers.