A WARD at Southampton General Hospital has been closed to new admissions after the outbreak of a sickness and diarrhoea bug.

Eleven patients and two members of staff have shown symptoms of the norovirus. Five are currently affected.

Visitors to any part of the hospital have been advised to stay away if they have suffered from diarrhoea or vomiting in the previous 72 hours.

Hospital chiefs hope to be in a position to re-open the affected ward soon.

Bosses at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester are battling against the same problem.

Currently 19 patients on five separate wards have norovirus symptoms.

At its peak last week the hospital had 60 patients with the illness.