Stranded under-12s footballers will be coming back to the island this afternoon on board the Manannan.

The Steam Packet said that all but one of the Isle of Man FA group have been symptom-free for 48 hours, they are clear to travel home from Heysham.

It said the decision had been made following consultation with Public Health England.But the boys will kept isolated on the fast craft to protect other passengers.

The Master of Manannan made the decision not to allow the party to board at Belfast on Sunday as a number were showing symptoms of highly-infection Norovirus, and the risk to other passengers was deemed too high.

Yesterday, the group took the ferry from Larne to Cairnryan in Scotland.

Now that all but one of the group have been symptom-free for 48 hours, and after further discussions with relevant authorities as well as additional time to prepare contingency measures, the Steam Packet Company has arranged for the group to sail to Douglas from Heysham this afternoon.

Steam Packet Company chief executive Mark Woodward said: ‘The situation has now been assessed by Public Health England which has confirmed that the range and time spread of the symptoms presented by the group are consistent with Norovirus.

‘A further member of the group has been sick within the last 48 hours, bringing the total of those in the group suffering symptoms of illness to 10. However, given that all other members of the group have been symptom free for more than 48 hours, and conscious of the need to get the children home to their families, we have implemented strict isolation measures to protect other passengers.

‘Public Health England has agreed that, as only one of the party has been ill in the last 48 hours, the risk of transmission is much reduced and the party is able to travel, subject to these measures being robustly carried out and the area they occupied being properly sanitised afterwards.

‘This sanitisation process will mean a delay to this afternoon’s sailing of Manannan for which we apologise, but the safety of our passengers is our priority.’

He added: ‘Manannan’s Master made the correct decision on Sunday in the interests of protecting the passengers and crew.

’The protective measures being taken now, following consultation with Public Health England, are only possible because of the additional time we have had to assess the situation and could not have been adequately implemented at short notice ahead of Sunday’s service from Belfast, especially when many members of the group were exhibiting symptoms of the illness at the time.

’Public Health England have confirmed that the one remaining ill member of the group can be carried subject to these precautionary measures.’