A NURSERY was closed today - 24 hours after a primary school was also shut, sparking fears swine flu could be spreading among pupils.

Two children, aged five and three, were found to be probable cases of the virus.

Health officials ordered the closure of Ladybird Nursery in Greenock for a week after a three-year-old child showed symptoms of swine flu.

Yesterday afternoon they had shut the town's Ravenscraig Primary when a five-year-old boy was diagnosed with a probable case.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also Scottish Health Secretary, said the probable cases are linked to a 19-year-old from Greenock, who was confirmed with swine flu over the weekend.

Ms Sturgeon said: "As with the school, the precautionary step has been taken of closing that nursery for a period of seven days."

Worried parents at the nursery in Chester Road were being spoken to by health officials.

There are 100 children at the nursery, including 20 babies and 80 aged two to five.

Older children and nursery staff who have had close contact with the three-year-old child will be offered Tamiflu.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A, which infects pigs. So far, the outbreak, which appears to have originated in Mexico, has affected 5728 people in 33 countries.

The affected 19-year-old from Greenock is being treated in hospital. His father works in Mexico.

Today's and yesterday's school closures are the first in Scotland prompted by the swine flu alert.

The 45-year-old mother of the Ravenscraig pupil showing symptons has also been classed as a probable case.

Four other contacts of the boy's mother are showing symptoms and are being classed as possible cases.

Her five-year-old son also attended an after-school club and Ms Sturgeon said 17 children there were being treated with Tamiflu.

They were also being asked not to return to the after-school club or to their individual schools for seven days.