A MYSTERY bug brought chaos to schools today on only the second day of the new term.

Both Haute Vallée Secondary and Springfield Primary had to be closed because of the high number of staff hit by a gastric illness. There are fears that other schools may also be affected as the bug spreads. Haute Vallée School informed parents and pupils that classes were cancelled this morning because more than half the teachers had been struck down. Nearly 800 children attend the school, off Queen’s Road. Down the road at Springfield, just four teachers turned up to work this morning. Public Health were informed about the situation and were working closely with the school authorities to determine the nature and cause of the illness. The staff were asked to stay at the schools until they had been seen by a health professional. Education Director Tom McKeon said: ‘We don’t know the cause of the illness or how long it is likely to affect people, so we can’t say when they will be able to return to work,’ he said.