PEOPLE in Somerset are being urged to wash their raw vegetables and salad thoroughly following two people dying after becoming infected with E. coli.

Public Health England (PHE) is investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157, which has so far affected 151 people, mainly in the South West.

The authority said the outbreak may be linked to salad leaves and is looking into whether salad leaves - possibly including rocket imported from the Mediterranean - may be to blame.

PHE said it had advised "a small number of wholesalers" to stop adding some imported rocket leaves to their mixed salad bags as a precautionary measure.

Dr Isabel Oliver, director of PHE's field epidemiology service, said: "PHE has been working to establish the cause of the outbreak and has identified that several of the affected individuals ate mixed salad leaves including rocket leaves prior to becoming unwell.

"Currently, the source of the outbreak is not confirmed and remains under investigation; we are not ruling out other food items as a potential source."

E. coli O157 can cause a range of symptoms, including mild to bloody diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain.

It can be passed on to other people through poor hand washing and poor toilet hygiene.

PHE said people should remove any loose soil before storing vegetables.

They should also thoroughly wash all vegetables and salads which will be eaten raw unless they have been pre-prepared and are labelled "ready to eat".

It said people should wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet, before and after handling food, and after contact with pets and animals, including farm animals.

Young children should also be supervised when they wash their hands.

PHE first became aware of the possibility of an E.coli O157 outbreak in the south of England at the end of June.