BRIGHTON College has closed after an outbreak of illness.

The independent school in Eastern Road reportedly sent a letter home to parents stating the College and Prep School will close immediately for a deep clean.

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In the letter, head teacher Richard Cairns said: “A Sixth Form day pupil in the College was recently tested.

"Sadly, his results are still not known after 5 days of waiting, but a number of boys in the same day house have come down with similar symptoms, as has their House Tutor.

Given that access to the testing programme is now denied to these pupils because of the lack of testing capacity in the country, I have been advised to assume that we have a COVID-19 cluster in the sixth form in that particular day house.

"In consequence, we will need to close the College for two days of deep cleaning."

A spokesman for the college added: "Brighton College and Brighton College Prep School will close from Tuesday March 17.

"Brighton College Pre-Prep will remain open until the end of the week, when the Easter break is scheduled to begin.

"We are only 4 days away from the end of term so we will keep pupils at home for the period after the deep cleaning, teaching pupils through our new and very exciting on-line teaching platform.

"The exception will be for any parent who works in the delivery of essential health services whose children will, once the deep cleaning is completed, be able to work from school under supervision.

"This is so that we can play our part in supporting our increasingly embattled health professionals.”

This comes after two universities announced they are to suspend teaching to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The University of Sussex, Which has had two confirmed cases, is suspending teaching immediately.

The University of Brighton, which has had no confirmed cases, will be suspending teaching from Friday.

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Campus’s university buildings including its libraries, cafes, gyms, sports facilities, and halls of residents, will remain open.

Elsewhere in Brighton, two “unwell children have been taken out of primary school after.

The pupils at St Luke’s Primary, Brighton, have been taken out of the Queen's Park Rise school after a parent was told she may have the virus by the health service.

The children who attend the in school are now also feeling unwell and have been taken out the classrooms “as a precaution”.