Capernwray Hall has taken the decision to quarantine six students and a teacher returning from a trip to Italy. 

The Lancashire-based Bible school and holiday centre said that it was a precautionary measure and that no one in the group had symptoms.

They had been in Italy, the epicentre of Europe's coronavirus outbreak, to work with a partner church in Milan and are now being housed in a separate building on the Capernwray campus while they self-isolate for 14 days. 

"We are not worried but we wanted to take extra caution and that is why the decision was made, as a cautionary measure not due to concern," Capernwray's managing director, Jonathan Halsey, told Premier.

"None of the people have had any symptoms of Coronavirus."

The number of coronavirus cases across the UK grew in the last few days to 23 on Saturday, including the first patient to contract it in the UK. 

Europe has been on high alert over the virus after cases spiked dramatically in Italy in little over a week. 

The country as reported 888 coronavirus cases and 18 deaths, the highest in Europe. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the virus outbreak is a top priority for his government. He will be chairing a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee on Monday.