Woman is 25th swine flu victim

At least 25 people are now known to have died from swine flu this winter, with a woman in her 70s being the latest confirmed victim of the outbreak. She died at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton on Monday and had an underlying respiratory condition.

Flu cases increased from 86 cases per 100,000 of the population to 124 cases last week, according to figures released yesterday by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

An RCGP spokesman said: "The increase was evident in allage groups except schoolchildren.

There has been a substantial increase in age groups 45 to 64."

A Department of Health spokesman urged vulnerable groups, which include pregnant women, to get vaccinated.