Parents demand school is ‘deep cleaned’ after 166 pupils fall ill with vomiting bug

Worried parents of pupils at a Sheffield school where 40% of children called in sick have demanded it be closed for a “thorough deep clean”.

On Thursday 166 of the 407 pupils who attend Intake Primary School were off ill due to a vomiting virus.

Three members of staff were also absent.

Parents fear the school may have been struck by the highly contagious norovirus – and are demanding action.

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One angry parent told the Star newspaper: “I am absolutely appalled that nearly half of the school is off sick.

“We haven’t heard anything from the school other than some texts – one reminding children to wash their hands for two and a half minutes, one saying to keep them off for 48 hours if they are sick and one saying not to send children to school if they are ill.

“But we have nothing to inform us what is going to be done to try to stop the spread of this bug.

“I believe the school should be closed today for a thorough deep clean, regardless of how that will affect attendance figures.”

However the school said it still did not know what was behind the health problems.

“We have taken advice from environmental health and public health,” said a spokeswoman for Intake.

“People are saying it’s the norovirus, but there is no confirmed diagnosis yet.”

Norovirus is also known as the winter vomiting bug and is a form of viral gastroenteritis.

It can strike any age group and cause vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms can last as long as three days.