Health reporter(wp/es):
Up to 80 children have become "violently sick" following a pool party at a sports centre in Kent.
Splashes Leisure Pool in Gillingham has been closed today in order to clean and increase the chlorine levels in the water.
It follows uproar from parents over a kids party on Friday evening which saw scores of youngsters suffer vomiting and diarrhoea.
Samantha Kemsley took her one-year-old to the pool but ended up in Medway hospital with her just hours later after she had been sick 15 times.
Ms Kemsley, from Rainham, told the Standard: “She was being violently sick over and over again so we drove her to Medway hospital at 1.20 in the morning.
"She was sick again six or seven times so they took her straight into A&E where the doctor said she may have to go on a drip, but luckily she didn't.
"One of the questions we were asked was about any contact she’d had. None of our family or friends are unwell. It wasn’t until we arrived home just after 6.30am that it occurred to us, the only place where she had prolonged contact with people was at Splashes.
“I posted on a Facebook page of which I am a member and was overwhelmed with responses from people who had been at Splashes on the same day as us and their children had come down with the same illness… I posted on another group too and overall I have found that there are over 80 children affected.”
Many other mothers quickly shared the post and added their own stories of sick children.
Gemma Hutley-Reynolds took her daughter, son and nephew to the pool and all became ill. She told Kent Online: "My daughter Faye, who is nine, was sick 19 times in about four hours.
“We had the norovirus in our house a few years ago but this was far worse. I have never seen anything so bad."
Another mum, Kirstee Klee added this morning: “My son had sickness & diarrhoea sat night after the splashes party on Friday through the night & he's woken up today and been sick twice.
"He'll be off school until at least Wednesday now & trick or treating is cancelled. God knows how many went & got ill & we've not heard about!”
It is believed the sickness was spread by someone swimming in the pool who was already suffering from a contagious bug.
Emma Knight, whose two children are now off school, said: “Me and my husband took my daughters to the pool party. My youngest was sick every 40 mins for eight hours.
“Then my other daughter was sick every hour for six hours Saturday night. I have never known anything like this and to last so long.
“They won't be going back to school today and I have two very drained not wanting to eat poorly girls.”
A Medway Council spokesman told the Standard: “Following reports of sickness among some children who had visited Splashes on Friday, we are thoroughly cleaning the pool and changing areas and have increased chlorine levels in the pool.
"While we cannot determine whether the illness is linked to Splashes, we have taken necessary precautions to stop the potential further spread of germs.
"We urge customers not to visit the pool when they are feeling unwell, especially when suffering with sickness, as this would be the most likely cause of any spread of illness to other customers."
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