TWO people in South Cheshire have now died at Leighton Hospital after contracting salmonella food poisoning.

The first victim, an 80-year-old man, died at the weekend and the second, a 55-year-old man, died from the disease on Wednesday.

An investigation is underway after Central Cheshire's NHS Trust announced the number of reported cases had grown to 55 in the boroughs of Crewe, Nantwich and Congleton since September, when normally they would only deal with two or three cases a week.

Reports that a bakery in Nantwich had been the source of the outbreak has been ruled out, and the investigation to trace the ingredient or batch of food carrying the salmonella is continuing.

The statement by the trust said: "Six patients have been admitted to hospital. Unfortunately one adult has died and another remains ill but all the others have been discharged.

"All local bakeries have been co-operating fully with the Local Authority Environmental Health Department investigations, however approximately half of the cases being investigated have had no association with bakery products."

Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Team, the national centre for Communicable Disease Unit, the Local Authority Environmental Health Officers and the Food Standards Agency are now investigating the causes of the outbreak.

Dr Bernard Schlecht of the protection team, said: "We are investigating this increase carefully and working with the local environmental health department and the national centre for Communicable Disease Control in Colindale, to identify the source of the infection."

The Food Agency has recommended that food business should use pasteurised eggs, rather than ordinary eggs in products that will not be cooked or lightly cooked before eating.

Salmonella lives in the gut wall of animals and occasionally humans and is spread by undercooked food, or cross-contamination from raw foods, with symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting and a fever.

People have been warned to make sure juices run clear when cooking meat, to avoid cross contamination between raw and cooked foods and to use separate utensils.

Anyone who suspects they may have the poisoning should contact their doctor immediately.