Published: 23/07/2009 00:00 - Updated: 30/07/2009 09:42

The banned old Duke of Pork . . .

by JAMES BRINDLE

A ROYAL visit has become the latest victim of swine flu as the first suspected cases of the virus were revealed at digger giant JCB.

The Duke of York Prince Andrew was due at JCB’s Heavy Products factory near Uttoxeter yesterday to officially open the new £40 million plant.

However, the ceremony was cancelled yesterday morning after several cases of suspected swine flu were reported at the company.

A spokesman for the company said: "A very small number of suspected swine flu cases have been reported at JCB, including two at JCB Heavy Products, Uttoxeter.

"As a result, The Duke of York has postponed a visit to officially open the factory today until further notice.

"The number of suspected cases is only in the single figures and we finish for three weeks on Friday for a holiday.

"We are issuing regular advice to our employees on what to do should they suspect they have swine flu."

Meanwhile, Burton’s Queen’s Hospital has moved to reassure the public that staff absences due to possible swine flu will not affect services.

Jackie Jones, director of nursing at Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "As to be expected in any large organisation, we currently have a small number of staff who are not at work due to illness.

"As some of these individuals have flu-like symptoms, they have taken on board national NHS guidance and stayed at home.

"However, we should like to reassure patients and members of the public that this small number of staff absences will not affect the quality of healthcare services that we provide."

Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant, whose constituency covers parts of East Staffordshire, has called on the Government to lift the cap on the amount of paracetamol, aspirin and similar medicines bought over the counter.

Mr Fabricant said: "With the number of swine flu infections increasing in the West Midlands and elsewhere, the Government should lift the restriction on the amount of simple antipyretics, drugs which reduce fever that can be sold over the counter at any one time.

"And I know that many sales assistants at supermarkets have been abused by customers when they have been refused the sale of more than a handful of capsules."

However, Public Health Minister Gillian Merron rejected Mr Fabricant’s proposal in a written response, saying the Government had ‘no current plans to change this’.