TWO more wards have been closed to admissions at the Royal Bolton Hospital after patients and members of staff reported symptoms similar to the winter sickness disease.

Medical wards B3 and C2 were closed after eight patients on each, and two members of staff, came down with sickness and diarrhoea.

The move comes days after three wards were closed to admissions before Christmas, when 20 patients and eight members of staff contracted the virus.

A hospital spokesman said: "The other wards were reopened before Christmas, as the matter seemed to resolve itself.

"These patients may or may not be suffering from winter vomiting.

"We are not yet sure if the two outbreaks are linked, but the symptoms are similar and it does seem to be a virus of some sort. The wards are closed to new admissions as it is important that we prevent the spread."

The hospital is issuing the same advice as before Christmas: anyone with symptoms of sickness and diarrhoea should stay away.

Visitors are being told not to sit on the beds of their friends and relatives, and that they must wash their hands when they enter and leave the ward.

Since the wards have been closed, the hospital has had a higher number of emergency patients admitted than staff expected.

On Monday 28th, more than 100 ambulance patients were admitted - a figure thought to be the highest in Greater Manchester.

A hospital spokesman said: "People are being kept in longer because of the vomiting. This is having a knock-on effect in terms of a shortage of beds for the increased numbers of accident and emergency patients."