A SICKNESS and diarrhoea bug which caused children to start vomiting in the classrooms has forced a Millom school to close until Monday.

Almost 20 pupils and two members of staff at Haverigg Primary School became ill.

Parents were initially told on Tuesday to keep their children at home if they were poorly.

However, as vomiting spread across the school, headteacher Melanie Narongchai, who also became ill because of the bug, made the decision to close the school until Monday October 3 to allow cleaners to rid the school of germs.

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Felicity Wilson, who is vice chairwoman of the school's board of governors, has never experienced an outbreak of illness like this during her spell on the board.

Mrs Wilson said: "We have closed it before when there has been snow but never for anything like this. We are not a school that gives up easily and this is a bit more dramatic than usual."

She thinks that the spread of sickness could have been caused by a winter vomiting bug and noticed on Tuesday that her close friend Mrs Narongchai was under the weather.

Mrs Wilson said: "I could tell that she wasn't well when we sent out the message to parents on Tuesday and I thought there was something in the air.
"When you are responsible for children and their wellbeing and considering there is a bug going round I wholeheartedly think that the right decision was made.

"Melanie is one of the most dedicated teachers I have ever met and I know she would have done anything to try and keep the school open."

"It is a terribly clean school. We have wonderful caretakers and cleaners and it is kept in immaculate condition. Kids are kids - you just don't know how these things emanate."

Mrs Narongchai contacted the local health authority yesterday to make arrangements to close the school until Monday. A text message was sent out to parents on Thursday morning at 10:30am telling them to come and collect their children.

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Sharon Neate, 39, whose nine-year-old daughter Evie-May goes to the school, received one of those messages and understood the decision to close the premises.

She said: "I knew that something was going round but obviously they've sent that many home that they've decided to close the school. The situation has clearly escalated so it makes sense to try and get rid of the bug."

The school is expected to reopen on Monday October 3 at 8:45am.