A type of flu is being blamed for temporarily closing down a Westport primary school

Sixty-six Westport North School pupils - around a third of the roll - were away sick on Monday with an unknown illness.

The Board of Trustees closed the school until Friday for decontamination.

Buller High School shares a boundary with the primary school, and Principal Andrew Basher says it's an influenza-type outbreak.

He says the symptoms can last for two weeks.