A HOSPITAL ward has closed and more than 60 patients have been hit by a viral infection, it emerged last night.

The outbreak, affecting four North-East hospitals, follows problems experienced in Glasgow, where 254 patients have gone down with the winter vomiting bug, causing almost 200 operations to be cancelled.

Health chiefs in the North-East said the virus is in the general population and often occurs at this time of year.

Bosses at the University Hospital of North Tees, at Stockton, said a medical ward had been closed for a second day after six patients were taken ill.

"A ward was closed to admission for 24 hours on Monday as a precaution and we closed it again on Tuesday," a spokeswoman said.

However, the spokeswoman said the preliminary results of tests indicated that the virus, which caused vomiting, was not infectious.

Elsewhere in the region, 38 patients have been affected by a virus at Darlington Memorial Hospital, which caused vomiting and diarrhoea.

A spokeswoman for South Durham Health Care said: "The first case was on January 12 and the patients are recovering. The outbreak was mild and there was nothing to worry about."

Earlier this month, another ten patients and a member of staff at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital were hit by the winter vomiting bug, along with eight patients and two members of staff at Middlesbrough General Hospital.

Last night, further outbreaks of the virus were confirmed in Scotland, including Forth Valley, where 56 people were affected. Two wards were shut at Stirling Royal Infirmary and one at Falkirk Royal Infirmary.