HUNDREDS of children and adults across Morecambe Bay are suffering from a flu-like illness which may have reached epidemic proportions.

High temperatures, headaches and aching limbs are keeping many people to their beds, and medical experts say they are baffled by the illness, which shows no signs of tailing off.

Few schools and workplaces have been untouched by the flu-like bug.

At the Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge, around five teachers out of 45 are calling in sick each day; while up to 100 pupils out of 760 have been poorly at any one time.

"We had a particularly bad time last week," said deputy head Graham Smith.

"It seemed to start in years 10 and 11, and then has gone elsewhere through the school."

Mr Smith praised the efforts of teachers who had been covering sick colleagues' lessons, and said supply staff had been called in.

At Kendal's Queen Katherine School around 100 pupils and half-a-dozen staff are off sick.

Head teacher Stephen Wilkinson said illness levels were "slightly higher than normal" but the situation was "not too bad at the moment".

He encouraged parents not to send youngsters into school if they seemed unwell.

Dr David Telford, consultant microbiologist for Morecambe Bay, told the Citizen: "What we've got at the moment is probably an epidemic, but it's not influenza, or we have no evidence it's influenza at the moment."

Dr Telford said people suffering from the "flu-like illness" had a very high temperature, and felt miserable, shivery and achy.

The illness had taken hold in Morecambe Bay in the past fortnight, and seemed to be affecting young and middle-aged people rather than elderly folk, he explained.

Dr Telford said GPs would be asked to send specimens from patients so the viral illness could be identified.

He advised anybody suffering to stay in bed and take aspirin, paracetamol or their favourite cold remedy to relieve pain and bring down their temperature.

Anybody feeling 'chesty' or short of breath is advised to see their GP.