Accurate, non-invasive, rapid and cost-effective diagnostic tools that can be used in the clinic or ward setting and better means of differentiating CD from UC are needed. Faecal calprotectin (FC), a non-specific marker of intestinal inflammation, is recommended by NICE to distinguish IBD from non-inflammatory gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/dg11) and a near-patient test has been developed (http://www.buhlmannlabs.ch/core/quantum-blue/calprotectin/). A recent meta-analysis (394 IBD/321 non-IBD controls) reported a pooled sensitivity and specificity of FC in the diagnosis of IBD in children of 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.95-1.0) and 0.68 (0.50- 0.86) respectively. The low specificity indicates that an alternative or additional test with higher specificity is needed to reduce the time to diagnosis and avoid many children undergoing unnecessary investigations.