FEELING THE FLU; 10,000 Brits wait to leave Mexico.

Byline: MARTIN FRICKER; ROD CHAYTOR

ABOUT 10,000 Brits were waiting to be brought home from Mexico last night as the swine flu crisis deepened.

Holiday operators cancelled flights as more cases of the deadly virus were confirmed across the globe and the Foreign Office warned against all but essential travel to the stricken nation.

The news came as NHS Direct bosses cancelled holidays for call centre staff after lines were swamped by people fearing they may have the infection - with more than 1,300 calls taken in just 24 hours.

Senior UN health experts warned nothing could be done to stop the disease spreading - and Professor Neil Ferguson of the World Health Organisation claimed the UK could be badly hit.

He said: "We might expect up to 30 to 40 per cent of the population [25 million people] to become ill in the next six months if this truly turns into a pandemic.

"It is almost certain that even if it does fade away in the next few weeks, which it might, we will get a sizeable epidemic in the autumn." In Scotland, 14 cases are under investigation, while the Welsh Assembly confirmed eight suspected cases were being probed, including some in Cardiff.

The Department for Health and the Health Protection Agency refused to reveal how many suspected cases England had - but health chiefs in Wiltshire confirmed seven people in the county who had been to Mexico were being tested. Medics were last night also monitoring possible cases in London, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire.

Two patients were at the University College Hospital in North London.

Another was being tested at the West Middlesex University Hospital in West London and a woman was being re-tested at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex, after initial results were inconclusive.

PANIC

As Brit tourists stranded in Mexico waited for flights home, one couple told how they cut short a dream holiday there because of fears over the outbreak.

Karen Whitehouse, 22, and Alex Henney, 31, headed home just five days into a two-and-a-half-week break.

Karen, from Fulham, South West London, said: "There was a lot of panic. Everything was closed. If you sneezed in the street, people looked like they wanted to get away. There was no point in being there. It was scary being in a city of 20 million people that was completely dead.

"I wasn't feeling very well and we got in a panic. I'm fine now, but we just wanted to get out. When you saw everyone walking around wearing the masks, it just felt like a ghost town.

"We tried going out to restaurants and bars, but they were all closed." All Thomson flights to Cancun and Cozumel up to May 8 have been cancelled.

Thomas Cook and Virgin pulled all flights up to May 5 and Kuoni until May 4.

First Choice and Airtours also pulled flights. British Airways is running a normal service, but is offering customers due to travel the option of rebooking or switching destination.

Meanwhile, preparations for the worst were under way in Britain as workers for NHS Direct were banned from taking "short notice" holiday or days in lieu.

Bosses acted after terrified holidaymakers returning from Mexico and their families and friends rang for advice.

More than 200 people were referred to GPs after complaining of flu-like symp- toms. In the past two days, 85,000 people visited the NHS Direct website - double the usual volume. A spokeswoman confirmed: "All short notice annual leave and time off in lieu has been cancelled." Gordon Brown has ordered the Cabinet's emergency Cobra committee to meet to discuss preparations for a mass outbreak.

He said: "It has crossed two continents.

There is action we can take and will take." The Government has worked out a worst-case scenario for its pandemic plan. It calculates that if half the population got ill there could be 709,000 deaths.

STRUCK

Schools, sports events and concerts would be shut to limit the spread of the illness, which has already killed 152 people, all in Mexico.

World Health Organisation assistant director general Keiji Fukuda said: "Countries should take the opportunity to prepare for a pandemic. At this time containment is not a feasible option."

Elsewhere, a second swine flu case was confirmed in Spain as Denmark, Greece, Sweden and Norway were hit by suspected cases. Tourists back from Mexico were struck down in New Zealand, Israel and South Korea.

The number of infected people in the US jumped to 68.

In New Zealand, a group of 11 students and teachers were confirmed with the virus after recent trip to Mexico. Two cases were confirmed in Israel.

In Australia, where possible cases now number 111, the government is introducing new powers to detain and treat people suspected of having the virus.

WARNING LEAFLETS ARE BEING SENT TO EVERY HOME

LEAFLETS on swine flu will be sent to every home within days to reassure people worried about a pandemic. They will advise on symptoms, explain how the disease spreads and set out hygiene measures to keep safe.

People will be urged to regularly wash their hands and cover their nose and mouth when sneezing. A recorded information line is being set up.

Suspected victims will be told to get in touch with their GP or NHS direct. Football matches, concerts and other public events could be scrapped under emergency plans being considered.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: "It's crucial we are ready for things getting worse."

ARSENAL'S Mexican striker Carlos Vela was kept away from training due to fears over swine flu. Club doctors carried out tests on Vela before he got the all-clear. The fears came after friends from Mexico visited him last week.

ARNIE EMERGENCY STATE

THE Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, last night declared a state of emergency as 13 cases of swine flu were confirmed. New York has 45 cases and hundreds more are suspected after an outbreak at a school. Richard Besser, of the Centers for Disease Control, said: "We will see deaths from this."

THOUSANDS of people threw a sickie yesterday as swine flu fever took its toll.

More than 27,000 took the day off for cold and flu symptoms - 8.2 per cent above average, according to absence management experts FirstCare.

CAPTION(S):

WARNING WHO chief Fukuda BUG UGLY Flu virus has potential to kill millions NO GO Stranded passenger at Manchester airport ESCAPE Young Natalie Maddon and mum back at Heathrow from Mexico City