Customers fall ill after eating at new Loch Fyne restaurant

The recent opening of a fish restaurant in Newcastle has been marred by the outbreak of a winter vomiting bug.

More than 20 people are believed to have fallen ill after eating at the Loch Fyne restaurant in the upmarket residential area of Gosforth.

Loch Fyne managers said the illness was caused by oysters bought from Ireland, rather than their usual Scottish sources.

Richard Morris, managing director at the company, said: “Obviously we take something like this incredibly seriously. We believe it was caused by one batch of oysters. We are trading as normal.”

The winter vomiting bug, which causes sickness, stomach pains and diarrhoea, is caused by the novovirus and normally lasts several days.

Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Primary Care Trust issued a joint statement.

It read: “We are investigating a possible outbreak of illness involving more than 20 people who have eaten at the Loch Fyne restaurant in Gosforth. Tests have confirmed the presence of novovirus in some of the food at the restaurant.”

Health officials are still investigating another outbreak of the winter vomiting bug that hit Newcastle last week.

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By Nigel Green

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