Rachael Knott, 20, and her parents, Karen and Malcolm, had accused Alan Leading of failing to spot tell-tale signs of the potentially fatal disease during a home visit in April 2000.

They claimed an earlier hospital referral could have saved Miss Knott's hearing.

Instead she was left profoundly deaf in one ear and with severe hearing loss in the other, sparking a six-figure compensation claim.

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But High Court judge, Mrs Justice Nicola Davies, said she preferred the evidence of Dr Leading and dismissed Miss Knott's damages claim.

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The court heard Karen and Malcolm Knott claim their Wakefield-registered GP had negligently failed to appreciate the significance of three "petechial spots" – a classic sign of meningococcal infection – on their daughter's neck during the home visit.

The couple said their daughter was extremely unwell both before and after Dr Leading's visit.

But it was not until the evening of the following day that she was referred to hospital by an out-of-hours surgery after the youngster said "Mummy, I can't hear you" as Mrs Knott held her in her arms.

Dr Leading told the court that when he arrived at the family home, Miss Knott was sitting upright on a bed, "appeared alert" and was not distressed.

Mrs Justice Davies said there was "no middle ground" between the evidence of the Knotts and the GP, who said there was no apparent need for urgent hospital referral.

She said: "I am unable to find that Mr and Mrs Knott are wholly reliable witnesses.

"Their evidence of the gross signs and symptoms displayed by Rachael does not fit with the progress of the disease in this case, it is inconsistent with the findings made upon admission to hospital.

"Their evidence as to the presence of three petechial spots on the neck is not supported by the findings of health care professionals who examined Rachael on April 19 or 20."

She dismissed the claim.