A WINTER vomiting bug has resumed its grip on Staffordshire's two main hospitals.

The norovirus had last night closed six wards to new patients at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS).

And at Stafford Hospital, where four wards and part of the acute medical unit are sealed off, non life-threatening operations are cancelled.

The crisis led to the UHNS introducing its total visitor ban on the stricken wards and allowing relatives and friends to visit their loved-ones only between 6.30pm and 7.30pm in all other departments.

The set-back at the UHNS comes despite visiting restrictions being in place since early December.

At its height, 10 wards were closed but this was reduced to just two last week.