A SOUTHAMPTON school has announced it will be closed until next week due to "unprecedented levels" of sickness.

Regents Park Community College will be closed until Monday.

In a Tweet, a spokesperson from the college said the school will be closed due to "unprecedented levels of staff and student illness".

Cllr Steven Galton said: "There is a lot of sickness going around and it's a really terrible bug.

"Sometime this can be the only way to stop it spreading.

"I know this would be a last resort for a headteacher and I trust that this is the best thing to do.

"It's better to close for one day rather than let more and more people get sick."

The closure follows the announcement that Oasis Academy Mayfield will also be closing due to staff sickness.

It was announced this morning that the school will close today and tomorrow.

As previously reported Redbridge Community School was closed for three days earlier this month in what head teacher Jason Ashley described as "the worst outbreak" he had ever seen.