Three Shropshire children, including a one-year-old girl, have been struck down by the same E.coli infection which left a woman critically ill in hospital, health bosses revealed today.

Tests have shown the baby girl and two boys, aged six and eight, had the same strain of the virus as Karen Morrisroe-Clutton, who fell ill last month, apparently after eating food from the Llay Fish Bar, near Wrexham.

Two of the children were admitted to hospital while the third was treated for mild symptoms.

The fish bar has now been identified as the most likely source of the outbreak, which left Mrs Morrisroe-Clutton, 32, of Wrexham, in intensive care at the town’s Maelor Hospital and three other people needing treatment.

It is thought the youngsters got the infection from a relative who also ate food from the fish bar.

That family member was not confirmed as having the bug and was not one of the four confirmed cases.

Chris Lines, from the National Public Health Service for Wales, today said: “Three children from Shropshire have been confirmed as having the same E.coli O157 infection as the four original cases. Two of them, a female aged one and a male aged six, were admitted to hospital and are now recovering at home. The third is an eight-year-old male, who had only mild symptoms.

“The children are thought to have acquired their illness within the home, where they had contact with an unconfirmed case, who also consumed food from the premises.” Mr Lines said the three youngsters would not be named and added the team has ruled out other possible sources of infection.

He said: “The food premises were closed by Wrexham County Borough Council food safety officers on July 30 as a precaution to protect the health of the public. A report is being prepared by WCBC to determine what future action will be taken.

“The outbreak control team led by Dr Judy Hart, consultant in communicable disease control with the National Public Health Service for Wales, identified eating food from the premises as a common link between the four confirmed cases.”