A violent sickness and diarrhoea bug swept through Kingskerswell Primary School this week, keeping almost a third of its pupils at home.

With around 90 pupils absent, the headteacher was forced to write a letter to parents about the outbreak on Wednesday.

'It's not clear exactly what the bug is,' said David Hutchings, a spokesman from the county council.

'It's mostly the younger children who have been prone to it.

'The school has spoken to the Health Protection Agency which advised them to stay open at this stage and said it doesn't need to close.'

The school is stepping up procedures to try to combat the risk of the bug spreading .