The number of Britons suffering from the swine flu virus jumped to 27 this afternoon as nine new cases were confirmed by the Health Protection Agency.

Alleyn’s School, in Dulwich, south east London, today became the fourth British school to be closed by the HPA after five pupils in year seven tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

One pupil at Alleyn’s School who visited the US during the Easter holidays had already been diagnosed with swine flu. Five other pupils who were off sick on Friday have now been confirmed as having contracted the virus.

The HPA said the school will be closed for at least seven days from today.

“Those who are still unwell are receiving anti-viral treatment and are recovering at home,” a spokesman said.

“The Health Protection Agency is working to ensure that any close contacts of these cases are offered anti-virals as a precautionary measure.”

The school has arranged for all pupils and staff to be offered anti-viral treatment tonight or tomorrow morning.

A statement posted on the school’s website by headmaster Colin Diggory said that he was aware that the closure will cause “particular concern” to students who were due to take exams this week.

He said the school will be contacting exam boards to arrange the rescheduling of Year 13 art exams and Year 12 modern language oral exams.

Alleyn’s is the fourth UK school to be closed as a result of swine flu. South Hampstead High School in north west London, Downend School in South Gloucestershire and Paignton Community and Sports College in Devon have already closed.

The other four new cases in Britain were two London children who are close contacts of a previously confirmed case, and two adults from London and the West Midlands who recently returned from Mexico.

A Department of Health spokesman said that seven of the cases confirmed today appeared to have been acquired from person-to-person contact.

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