Gloucestershire school shuts sickness bug hits 145 pupils and staff

Dene Magna School will not reopen until Monday

A school has been forced to close until Monday after more than 145 pupils and staff came down with a sickness bug.

Dene Magna School in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, has about 750 pupils on its roll.

Headteacher Stephen Brady said: "It's just got worse and worse - we had to send 26 pupils home today, sometimes common sense has to rule."

A private cleaning firm will begin a deep clean on Friday to sterilise the school ahead of it reopening.

'Perfect storm'

The school normally has an attendance of 97%, with fewer than 20 students off in a day, but on Thursday this had fallen to 80%.

"We've had a steady increase in the number of students and staff coming down with this. I think we've been hit with what is a perfect storm of bugs," Mr Brady said.

"Some of the students have experienced nausea and sweating, others with vomiting and diarrhoea."

He also said a supply teacher had come in for one day but was forced to go home, after falling ill within a matter of hours.

It is expected that the pupils will recover from the bug within 72 hours.

"My only message is with the students don't let them go out and about at the weekend," added Mr Brady.

"If you can keep them in so they don't spread this amongst their friends.

"A good wash would go down very well so they can be back on Monday, nice and healthy."