The students from Miltoncross School, Milton Road, Portsmouth, are in quarantine in a Beijing hotel after the virus struck during a dream trip to the Far East.

The children, none of whom have swine flu themselves, landed in the Chinese capital on Tuesday, July 14, with more than 600 British students on a fortnight-long cultural tour to help them with their study of the Mandarin language.

But after some of the other students showed signs of swine flu, the Miltoncross pupils and 100 others from the group are stuck in a hotel, hoping to be passed fit in time to return home as scheduled on Tuesday, July 28.

One of the youngest students on the trip is 12 year-old Jessica Benham of Edgeware Road, Southsea.

The year seven student's mum Wendy Brookfield, 45, said: 'She's out there because she's learning Mandarin.

'I dropped her off at Heathrow on Monday and it was going to be the trip of a lifetime, a chance to practice the language as well as see the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, just amazing things that some people will never get the chance to do.

'But now she is worried and a long way from home. Like any parent, I just want to be able to give her a hug.'

There were reports today that Chinese authorities had allowed some of the students in the group to move on.

But Ms Brookfield, who spoke to her daughter this morning by mobile phone, said the Miltoncross pupils were not among them.

Some of the 600 youngsters are thought to have had symptoms such as temperatures when they boarded the aircraft at Heathrow, and were taken into quarantine within hours of arrival.

The Miltoncross students, who were staying with the group at a college campus, were unaware of any problems until Friday, when a youngster who had shared a minibus with them developed a high temperature.

The seven were moved from the college campus to the Yianxiang Hotel, where they remain.

And a breakdown in communications meant mum and daughter, separated by more than 15,000 miles, couldn't talk to one another after Jessica was moved.

Ms Brookfield said: 'I spoke to her on Friday evening, when they were being put into quarantine and then on Saturday morning.

'But then I didn't hear anything at all from her until late on Sunday evening. It was very worrying, a difficult weekend.

'I just didn't know who to talk to and she was out there so far from home in a foreign country. It got better when the school staff were back at work here in Portsmouth, as they have been able to let us know more.'

The Chinese authorities also worked to enable the youngsters and their parents to get back in touch, providing Jessica and her friends with laptops to e-mail home.

Ms Brookfield said: 'Things are much better. They are being treated well, they each have their own rooms, they are being fed and treated properly, and it's good they have the laptops because it means we can stay in contact. We have all also been given the hotel number so we can call.

'Jessica is being really brave, but she's only 12 and she's worried sometimes. It's really hard not to be there for her.

'I am very proud of how brave she's being, I am delighted that she and her friends aren't ill and I am very pleased she is being treated well at the hotel but I just want her back as soon as possible.

'It would be fantastic if she could be here for the weekend, that would be a wonderful present, but it's a seven day quarantine period, so I suppose it will be Monday at the soonest, more likely Tuesday, as long as they all stay well.

'All the kids are doing really well, keeping it together, but as a mum, I just want Jessica back home as soon as possible.'

REGULAR VISITS BY STUDENTS OF MANDARIN

Youngsters from Miltoncross School, a language college where Mandarin has been taught since 2005, have been visiting China for three years.

The school's headteacher Niel McLeod said: 'We have been in regular contact with our staff in Beijing.

'Our pupils are being well cared for by the Chinese authorities. They were understandably shaken and quite upset at first, but as it is now, they are being given three meals a day, and each has an individual room.

'They have got laptops and phone access, and are being given board games and things to keep them amused.'

The youngsters confirmed as having swine flu, from London and Somerset, are not seriously ill.

Three had high temperatures when they arrived at Beijing's airport last week, while the others developed symptoms later on.

In China, 1,537 cases of swine flu had been reported in a population of 1.34 billion, with no fatalities.

In the UK, 29 people have died, 26 in England and three in Scotland.

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