A mystery virus killed seven elderly care home residents in the space of a month.

The seven pensioners, aged 79 to 94, all lived on the same floor of Dorinda Lodge in Lough Road, Holloway. They all suffered symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting.

Experts were trying to identify the killer bug and find out how it spread. Islington Council tried to explain: “It’s traditionally a heavy time of year for deaths of old people.

Meanwhile, an Islington Green School pupil was barred from playing football – because she was a girl.

Natasha Buckley was the U12 team’s star striker, but was stopped from playing in an inter-schools tournament. Natasha, of St Peter’s Street, appealed to get the “boys only” rule relaxed by tournament bosses.