Flu outbreak is on the way

Doctors were today warned to prepare for a major flu outbreak in London next week. Experts say the virus is about to sweep through the capital, striking hundreds of thousands of people.

Today they placed the city and the surrounding area on "pre-alert" - saying that they were likely to issue a full alert within days.

Details of the expected outbreak were released by a national flu advisory network, based on information received from pharmacists, GPs, and schools.

A panel of experts uses a computer program to predict the spread of the virus, issuing forecasts for coughs, colds and flu for the coming week.

The level of risk is described in one of five status categories, from "normal" - little or no increase in respiratory illnesses - to a peak of "alert" - a massive increase.

The latest information suggests about 10 per cent of people in the London area could get colds or flu next week, rising to 15 per cent within two to three weeks. Across the UK, more than six million people are likely to be affected.