Newcastle Street Spice food event: Salmonella confirmed

Four people taken ill after a Newcastle street food festival were suffering from food poisoning, environmental health chiefs said.

About 200 visitors reported having a diarrhoea and vomiting bug after the three-day Street Spice Event in Times Square, which finished on Sunday.

Newcastle City Council and the Health Protection Agency said preliminary tests had confirmed Salmonella.

The council also said organisers were co-operating with the investigation.

'Further results due'

Stephen Savage, the council's director of regulatory services and public protection, said officers were working with 16 businesses involved in the festival.

He said: "Further results will be available in due course.

"The event organisers are co-operating fully and we are continuing to investigate the source of the outbreak."

One of the organisers, Bob Arora, said a full list of precautions had been taken to ensure high levels of hygiene.

About 12,000 people are believed to have attended the event.