A CONCERNED mum is keeping her twins off school as the winter flu bug continues to spread throughout a Poole school, despite a deep clean at the weekend.

Ninety pupils of 350-strong Ad Astra First School at Canford Heath are now off sick with flu-like symptoms, rising from 40 last week, when the Daily Echo reported that bugs were affecting schools throughout the area.

Hayley Hichens of Canford Heath, whose seven-year-old twins Ami and Jak are in Year 2, said the first she knew of it was when she read the Daily Echo last week.

Since then, with the school’s consent, she has kept her children at home as Ami has serious health conditions including ectodermal dysplasia, two holes in her heart, immuno-deficiency disorders and respiratory problems.

“They are saying it’s not bad enough to close the school down,” she said, but she and other mums disagreed.

“It just seems absolutely crazy.”

She said the daughter of a friend had caught the bug three times in 10 weeks and she could not let Jak go to school in case he passed something on to Ami and she could not risk her getting ill.

“There is a school play on Friday and Christmas parties. They shouldn’t have to miss out on that. The school’s priority should be the health and safety of the children. I don’t feel that’s happening,” she said.

Headteacher Val Arbon said: “The wellbeing of our pupils is our main priority. We are advising parents that if children display flu-like symptoms they should not attend school and should visit their GP.

“We are speaking with the HPA (Health Protection Agency) on a daily basis and their advice is for the school to remain open. Should this advice change we will of course consider closing but while staff levels remain sufficient to support those pupils who are well, both the HPA and governing body are happy for us to remain open.”