Pupils fall ill the night after school Christmas lunch

Pupils at Sydney Russell School in Parsloes Avenue were given a festive dinner of turkey and all the trimmings on the Monday before they broke up.

But a number of parents said their children took the next day off because they had stomach cramps and diorrhea.

“When I came home from work, my daughter was complaining of cramps in her stomach,” said Sally Taylor, whose is 15-year-old daughter is in Year 10.

“She said the turkey tasted funny, so she dissected it and took a photo.

“I contacted the school, who said they had probed all the meat to check it was the right temperature.

“The next day she had cramps and a temperature, so I gave her some immodium, but she didn’t want to miss school.”

Another mum, who didn’t want to be named, has a child in Year 7 who had to take a day off because she was suffering from diorrhea.

“She came home from school and seemed weak,” the concerned mother said.

“When I woke her up for school the next morning, she said she felt sick and her belly hurt. Within 10 minutes she was on the toilet and couldn’t get off. She was in agony.”

Another parent said her daughter spent the night repeatedly going to the bathroom.

“On our way home from school she was complaining of a headache and stomach cramps,” the mum said, whose daughter is in Year 7.

“She took herself off to bed, and within a few hours she was on the toilet, again at midnight, and again at 4am. I kept her home from school because she was on the toilet all morning.”

A school spokesman said: “We were contacted by some parents whose children were in school but said they had read about food poisoning on social media and called to check if their children were okay.

“Following those calls and to allay the concerns of parents, the headteacher checked the kitchen and was able to satisfy herself that it was not food poisoning. We have every confidence in our kitchen staff and ensure food is prepared in the safest and healthiest way.”