19 March 2012 Last updated at 05:10 ET

Friarswood school shut until Easter after E. coli outbreak

A Staffordshire primary school which was closed because of an E. coli outbreak is expected to remain shut until after Easter.

The closure followed 18 confirmed cases of E. coli O157 at Friarswood Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils will be taught in a nearby college while a thorough deep cleaning is carried out.

The Health Protection Agency is still trying to find the source of the bacteria, which often causes diarrhoea.

"Nobody, fortunately, has developed any serious complications," said Dr Rob Carr, from the agency.

"We have had four people over the last two or three weeks who've been in hospital but they've all returned home and are recovering.

"We're very confident that it wasn't introduced into the school through catering.

"The most likely explanation is that somebody with the infection... brought it into the school inadvertently and spread it to others."