A hospital maternity unit has been closed to new patients after the bacterium which can cause Legionnaires Disease was discovered.

Expectant mothers will be taken to another hospital while the water supply at Leicester General Hospital's maternity unit is sterilised.

Current patients are being given bottled water and the hospital has said there is no danger to them.

It is the second time in a week that a Leicester hospital has had to sterilise a water supply.

Nurses moved

Last Friday the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary was disinfected after a transplant patient contracted a very mild form of the disease.

The latest outbreak was discovered in the showers during routine tests following a three-month refurbishment of the unit.

Anne MacGregor, from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said there was no risk to patients.

She said women going into labour on Thursday night would be taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary.

"Fortunately we are not too busy at the labour site at the moment.

"Obviously things could change but we are transferring nurses from the Leicester General to the Infirmary."