Restaurant hit by virus reopens

The Star Inn at Harome has a string of awards for its food

A Michelin-starred restaurant which closed after more than 80 diners became ill has reopened.

Several staff at The Star Inn in Harome were also taken ill with the vomiting bug norovirus, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

The cause of the illness has not yet been confirmed by the HPA.

Owners Jacquie and Andrew Pern said the restaurant reopened on Monday evening following "extensive, precautionary sanitisation procedures".

Mrs Pern said: "We have taken advice from Ryedale Council and the Health Protection Agency in this respect and exceeded all of their recommendations."

The restaurant closed voluntarily on 2 November after more than 80 people developed symptoms after eating there between 18 and 28 October, the HPA said.

Norovirus causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and is also known as the winter vomiting virus.