BARNSLEY Hospital has shut one of its wards after an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug norovirus.

Ward 27 was closed after 19 patients and staff began showing signs of the sickness and diarrhoea bug.

Swabbing tests confirmed it was the highly contagious norovirus so the general medicine ward, which specialises in respiratory illnesses, was closed on Monday.

Hospital chief executive Sandra Taylor said measures had been taken to stop the spread of the virus. "We have been very fortunate over the last eight weeks as we haven't had norovirus but unfortunately we've now had an outbreak," she said.

"We immediately closed the ward to new admissions because of the potential of new patients getting the virus.

"Staff have followed the infection control barriers and procedures and we are confident it has been contained. It has not spread to any of the other wards."