Hospitals across Suffolk are overflowing with cases of food poisoning from weekend barbecues.

The first glorious weekend weather of the summer sent men running to supermarkets for urgent meat provisions.

They then followed tradition by attempting to create a culinary delight on a BBQ while having no cooking skills whatsoever.

And their efforts resulted in overdone burgers alongside uncooked chicken and sausages.

<center><div class="getty embed image" style="background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:380px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.666667% 0 0 0;width:100%;"><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/184077906?et=-k4vTz4YQwxAiU9PLyyezg&viewMoreLink=on&sig=9irIWD1hpTv49D0qWGCe5d3xhGQaYTNZW1RaQ68cm2U=" width="380" height="253" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></div><p style="margin:0;"></p><div style="padding:0;margin:0 0 0 10px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/184077906" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">View image</a> | <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">gettyimages.com</a></div></div></center><center><i>Danger: men in Mendlesham preparing lunch</center></i><br><br>

Ipswich Hospital began seeing patients arriving with crippling stomach pains at around 2pm yesterday. By 5pm there was a queue of people vomiting outside the accident and emergency department, while several women and children soiled themselves.

A spokesman said: "We had so many admissions that our wards are full. We have no spare beds and have had to turn some people away. The first hot weather always brings barbecue-related sickness."

Jane Stevens, the local public health officer, urged men to step aside and let women do the cooking.

"It's a sad truth that most men cannot cook, but as soon as the barbecue comes out they think they are Gordon Ramsey.

"Sausages remain frozen in the middle and chicken is pink - both things that are key factors in food poisoning outbreaks."

It is believed one whole family of nine from Tuddenham, near Ipswich, was crippled by food poisoning and are all still in Ipswich Hospital.

Ipswich MP Ben 'Big Sausage' Gummer, who is famed for his BBQ skills, said: "I would urge everyone to make sure their sausage is in excellent order."

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