There has been one case of mumps in the town in five years

Seven teams of school nurses and health officials are offering all 1,400 students at the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College the MMR vaccine.

A dozen suspected cases are being investigated and some have already been confirmed.

Until now only one case of mumps has been confirmed in the town in the last five years.

There are also concerns because Darlington has one of the lowest up takes of MMR vaccine in the North East.

Good hygiene

Nonnie Crawford, the director of public health, said there were no plans to close the college but checks will be carried out at other schools.

She said mass vaccination was the most practical solution.

Teams of school nurses and health officers began a vaccination programme at the college on Monday to prevent the spread of the disease.

Darlington Primary Care Trust is also distributing information leaflets and letters.

Ms Crawford said: "If anyone suspects they may have mumps they should stay away from work, school or college, rest and drink plenty of fluids.

"Like many viruses, the chances of passing it on can be minimised by using simple good hygiene practices, such as disposing of tissues sensibly."