VISITORS are being urged to stay away from a Hampshire hospital until an outbreak of a sickness and diarrhoea bug has cleared up.

Dozens of patients at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, are still ill with the Norovirus.

The outbreak forced staff to close admission to the wards as the bug is highly contagious and can cause severe illness in those already sick.

Several patients booked in for surgical operations were also told not to come in amid fears the bug might spread throughout the hospital.

A spokesman for the hospital confirmed the number of suspected patients with the bug had fallen from 60 to 30.

Fewer new suspected cases were being recorded, with only seven new patients under observation in the past 48 hours.

The spokesman added there were no signs that the outbreak was emerging on the maternity or paediatric wards, nor the new Winchester Treatment Centre, where many day surgery cases are carried out.

Although some patients still recovering have been sent home, with their consent, elderly or vulnerable patients going back to nursing or residential homes are being kept in until completely free of symptoms.