HEALTH chiefs are investigating a food poisoning outbreak which struck down more than 100 people in the Horsham area.

They suspect the source may be pre-packaged sandwiches sold at work canteens.

GPs were alerted on Friday after several businesses telephoned Horsham Council's environmental health department to report mass staff sickness.

Victims were struck down by a gastro-enteritis type stomach bug.

West Sussex Health Authority, which issued questionnaires to everyone affected, was meeting the council today in a bid to identify the source of the outbreak.

Health authority director Brian Hughes said: "It is clear that it is the result of a food manufacturing or preparation process of some kind, and one of the leading options is that it was spread through pre-packaged sandwiches."

"We first heard about this at about lunchtime on Friday, when the environmental health people told us they had been contacted by a number of firms in the area who had noticed a high rate of sickness among their staff."

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