School illness is contained

AN outbreak of winter vomiting bug at a Lothians schools does not appear to have spread to neighbouring institutions.

Saltersgate Special Needs School is set to be deep cleaned this weekend after staff and pupils were given the all-clear.

More than 60 pupils and staff have been affected by vomiting and diarrhoea since the beginning of the month in what is suspected to have been an outbreak of norovirus.

Dr Alison McCallum, director of public health and health policy at NHS Lothian, said: "Norovirus has never been confirmed in any of the cases, but it was treated as a suspected incident and increased infection control measures were put in place as a precaution."

A spokesperson for Midlothian Council said that there have been no reports of any similar outbreaks at Dalkeith High School or St David's RC High School, which are housed on the same campus in Midlothian.

A statement added: "Advice from the public health officials was that a deep cleanse of the school should take place."