Schools in Wiltshire are being warned to steer clear of the river after a recent school trip to the Avon in Chippenham ended with an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea.

An urgent message, seen by this paper,  has been sent out to the parents of children who attend school in Chippenham after Year 10 pupils from Trowbridge took an educational trip to the River Avon in Chippenham last week.

The pupils had been at the section of river alongside Long Close in Chippenham, which is where the Chippenham Sea Cadet unit is based, and it is unclear exactly what in the water caused the outbreak of illness, but multiple pupils have been reported as seriously unwell.

Investigations are currently ongoing and schools and parents are being urged to look out for key symptoms.

A warning has been issued for children to stay out of the water (Image: Environment Agency)

"At this stage as a precaution, we are advising that young people and planned educational visits avoid water sports or river-based activities such as fieldwork, where they could come into direct contact with the open water in this location," read the email sent out by schools to Chippenham parents.

"As advice for schools and parents from Public Health at Wiltshire Council, if students have come into contact with open water and are presenting symptoms listed below they should seek urgent advice from a medical practitioner."

Symptoms to look out for include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, jaundice, rash and red eyes.

It remains unclear if these sea cadets, who were in the water on Thursday, June 20, have also been affected.