A REPORT on the outbreak of TB which rocked a Newport school in April may soon be made public after a controversial delay.

The report has been marked 'confidential' until now, a label angrily disputed by a leading Newport councillor, who wants the facts to be made public.

The outbreak at Duffryn High School affected eight Year 10 pupils and gave rise to public concern in the wake of a much bigger outbreak in Leicester at about the same time.

Councillor Bob Bright, the council's Cabinet member for community safety, has been demanding to know from Dr Lika Nehaul, the council's medical adviser, whether or not the source of the outbreak had been located.

He had previously been told that a report on this was confidential. But Councillor Bright, who describes himself as an exponent of transparency and openness, says he has now learned that the contents of the report do not breach that part of the Local Government Act concerning sensitive matters.

He is now issuing an ultimatum that if the confidentiality tag is not removed from the report he will ask the council's managing director, Chris Freeguard, to take action. It is not known what form this would take.

Councillor Bright says he wants the report by Monday. "We want to know whether or not he has he found the source of the TB outbreak," said Councillor Bright. "To put it simplistically, this is crucial.

"If I had kids attending this school, I would want all the information. We have had this problem with BSE and numerous other things and in the public interest we should have all the information.

"Initially, when I was informed of the outbreak the report came to my briefing session and I sent it to ward members involved and the cabinet member for education. "But I received a strong letter from the chief medical officer of health saying that the report wasn't meant for the public arena."

Councillor Bright has said that he does not need to know the detail of the source of infection, merely whether or not the authorities have identified it.

The outbreak at Newport was described by experts as a "small" cluster, unlike the 50 cases confirmed at the Crown Hills Community College, Leicester. Dr Nehaul was unavailable for comment as the Argus went to press.