By Gareth Rose EXPERTS fear the strain of Clostridium difficile that has killed eight people at the Vale of Leven Hospital, and been involved in the deaths of eight more, is as deadly as smallpox.

By Brian Brady; Jane Merrick Superbug policy is useless without vital screening process - which is not due to start for another year Thousands of patients will remain at risk from superbugs, despite a 57m "deep clean" of hundreds of hospitals, because a vital screening programme will not be put in place for at least a year.

By Craig McDonald and Charlie Gall BATTLING butchers launched a last ditch fight to save traditional Scottish mince from meddling Eurocrats yesterday. Brussels penpushers want to end the sale of properly aged beef mince - to prevent French foodies poisoning themselves with raw steak tartare.

WINTER vomiting bug has struck down 300,000 people, Scotland's top virus expert fears. Professor Hugh Pennington made the claim after the official toll of cases hit three million in England and Wales.

By Lyndsay Moss Health Correspondent THE chief executive of a health trust has had her severance pay withheld as it emerged the Clostridium difficile bug was directly linked to the deaths of 90 patients.