Several operations have had to be put back after the outbreak of a virus at Macclesfield Hospital.

Bosses have been battling for over a week to halt the spread of the Diorrhea and Vomiting virus (D&V) at the hospital on Victoria Road.

A total of four wards have had to be closed which has limited the number of beds available to patients.

Three of the wards, Wards 10, 4, and 6 have now re-opened but a fourth, Ward 5, has been shut.

Strict visiting restrictions are also in place with relatives asked to contact the hospital before attending.

East Cheshire NHS trust has therefore taken the decision to postpone a number of non -emergency operations due to the pressure on beds.

Kath Senior, Director of Nursing, Performance and Quality said: ‘We are experiencing pressure on services at the moment, with seasonal flu, D&V and other illnesses currently prevalent in the community.

"We apologise to those patients whose non emergency operations have been postponed, and we will be doing our very best to resume normal arrangements as soon as possible."