A passenger on board the virus-hit cruise liner Aurora died at the weekend, it emerged yesterday, although the death was not related to the stomach bug which has afflicted passengers.

The owner of the £200m liner, P&O Cruises, said both this death and another, which happened at the beginning of the cruise, involved heart conditions. Both were male passengers in their 70s.

The 1,800-passenger cruise liner is due to arrive in Southampton this morning after sparking a diplomatic storm in Gibraltar. Spain closed its border for a day after the ship docked at the Rock on Monday, citing concern for public health.

More than 500 of the passengers were hit by the contagious novovirus, which causes a two-day bout of nausea, chronic diarrhoea and vomiting.