Avian flu outbreak prompts cull of birds

The order requires poultry and captive birds to be kept indoors to prevent the spread of bird flu

A cull of birds is to be carried out in an area of Herefordshire following the confirmation of avian influenza.

A 3km (1.8 mile) captive bird monitoring zone has been declared around a premises in Fownhope, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

It follows the introduction of enhanced safety measures in the county ten days ago after a rise in cases across England.

The order requires poultry and captive birds to be kept indoors to prevent the spread of the disease.

Housing orders were also introduced in Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire on 16 February.

They were already in force for parts of Yorkshire, eastern England and Shropshire, where one million hens were culled in January.

Earlier this month, Top Barn, based at Hallow, near Worcester, was forced to move its normally free-range flock of chickens indoors because of the order.

The latest update from Defra stated "highly pathogenic avian influenza" was confirmed in captive birds at a premises near Fownhope and affected birds would be humanely culled.

A bird flu prevention zone enforcing strict hygiene measures around domesticated birds was declared for the whole of the country last month.