Bug forces school closure

Tests are being carried out

A primary school has been closed after half its teachers and some pupils fell ill with suspected food poisoning.

Ten staff at Newton primary in Dunblane are understood to be suffering from a stomach upset.

Stirling Council's environmental health officials are investigating the outbreak, along with Forth Valley Health Board's director of public health Dr Anthony Breslin.

A council spokesman said the school had been closed as a precautionary measure. Soem 25 pupils are thought to be suffering from the bug.

Tests were being carried out on all the possible sources of the illness, including school meals and the water supply.

Cause investigated

But he added: "It seems unlikely to have been caused by school meals, as not all the teachers eat in the school.

"At the moment we are working on the theory that it was brought into the school through one of the staff and spread in the staffroom, but we are still investigating exactly what happened."

The school will remain closed on Tuesday after Dr Breslin wrote to parents, pupils and staff urging them not to come to school until they have been free of the symptoms of the illness for 48 hours.

"We will also be investigating individuals who have reported illness and will be taking appropriate action depending on the results of these investigations," he said.