A WEST Somerset school was shut on Friday (November 28) after an outbreak of the ‘winter vomiting bug’ norovirus, the second incident in the area in a week.

Parents were told to keep their children home from Danesfield Middle School, in Williton, and they would be taught remotely.

The school will undergo a deep clean before it can be safely reopened for staff and the 360 pupils aged between nine and 13 years.

A week earlier, Brymore Academy, in Cannington, was closed for two days when norovirus swept through pupils and staff with about 70 people affected.

Bridgwater and Taunton College Trust chief executive Nicola Mould told Brymore parents their children would need to be kept at home for 48 hours while the chain of infection was broken with a deep clean of the premises.

Brymore has about 340 boys aged 11 to 16 years, about 150 of them boarding at the school.

A spokesperson for Beacon Education, which runs Danesfield and five other schools and nurseries in West Somerset, said: “Due to a significant outbreak of norovirus affecting both students and staff, Danesfield Middle School has taken the difficult decision to close today.

“This is a precautionary measure to help limit further spread within our school community and to allow time for a full deep clean of the site.

“We understand this may cause disruption for families, and we are grateful for the community’s understanding and support.

“We are working closely with public health and the school will reopen on Monday.”

An NHS spokesperson said norovirus was a stomach bug which caused vomiting and diarrhoea and although it could be ‘very unpleasant’, it usually lasted for only about two to three days.

They said it could be treated at home and the most important issue was for those affected to ensure they took lots of fluids to prevent dehydration.