The spread of Swine Flu continued as a third Richmond school announced it was to close after a number of pupils were confirmed to have caught the disease just as Hampton School, which was shut last week, reopened.

Lady Eleanor Holles School locked its gates today following advice from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and has warned parents to contact a doctor should their children start showing any flu-like symptoms.

A spokesman for the HPA said: “We advised them to close after some confirmed cases were found at the school and our national guidelines say that schools are advised to close for seven days, as that is the incubation period for the disease.”

It plans to reopen on Monday, June 1, after the half-term break.

Barnes Primary School, which closed last Friday, is also scheduled to reopen on June 1.

Hampton, which had four confirmed cases of the H1N1 Swine Flu virus last week, reopened today and a spokesman said that everything, though busy from trying to catch up following its closure, was back to normal.

Writing on the school’s website acting head Pippa Message said: “As the incubation period for influenza may be up to seven days, reported cases may well have acquired their infection before the school closure. As the school has been closed for longer than the incubation period, any new cases related to contact whilst in school would have presented by now.

“Therefore, all those pupils who have not developed infection and are symptom-free can return to school.

“Those who have been confirmed to have the influenza infection A type H1N1 are advised not to return until they are well and for at least seven days after their illness started. They should also have completed their ‘Tamiflu’ medication.”