A COBHOLM school closed a day early for half-term after the winter vomiting bug struck down nearly a quarter of its pupils.Julie Risby, headteacher at Cobholm Primary School, took the decision on Thursday as the number of ill pupils kept grow-ing and staff also became infected.

A COBHOLM school closed a day early for half-term after the winter vomiting bug struck down nearly a quarter of its pupils.

Julie Risby, headteacher at Cobholm Primary School, took the decision on Thursday as the number of ill pupils kept grow-ing and staff also became infected.

She said: “I have been in touch with the borough council's environmental health department every day of the outbreak and following their guidance on bleach cleaning.

“But on Thursday I made the decision to close because so many children were being sick in the school and we were having to send them home. I had to think about the children who were not ill as well.”

Mrs Risby said she knew of one case where a pupil had become infected for a second time after returning to school.

“We will continue with deep cleaning over half-term and hope that clears it out,” she said.

A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said a number of schools in the east of the county had been hit by the bug, also known for infecting hospital wards, but Cobholm had been the only one forced to close.

She said the council had been issuing advice to headteachers about liaising with their environmental health departments and the need to promote hand hygiene.