A butcher's shop has closed after an outbreak of severe gastroenteritis among customers.

The bug may be linked to cooked meats bought from the shop, say health chiefs.

The owner of Spauls Butchers at The Parade, Cottingley, closed voluntarily following five cases of severe gastroenteritis in the area. Two further possible cases are being investigated.

Four of the people hit by the bug are known to have bought cooked meats from the shop within the last two weeks.

Consultant in Communicable Disease Control Dr Martin Schweiger, of the West Yorkshire unit of the Health Protection Agency, said: "As a precautionary measure we are advising anyone who is still storing cooked meat bought from Spauls Butchers not to eat it or feed it to pets. It should be thrown away immediately with their domestic waste. People in Cottingley who experience severe diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal pain or cramps should contact their family doctor in the usual way.

"The spread of gastro-intestinal infections can be limited by ensuring thorough handwashing. We are continuing to monitor all cases of gastroenteritis in the district and testing is in progress to confirm both the cause and the source of the cases reported to date."

The owner of the shop is working alongside Bradford and Airedale teaching Primary Care Trust, Bradford Council's environmental health department and the West Yorkshire unit of the Health Protection Agency, to prevent any potential spread of severe gastroenteritis.