Warning given after bird flu confirmed in wild owl

Members of the public are being advised not to touch sick or dead birds after the discovery

Bird flu has been confirmed in a wild owl on the north Staffordshire and Shropshire border.

People were being advised by Shropshire Council, which issued the information, to not touch sick or dead birds.

The world is currently facing its largest ever outbreak of avian flu and record cases have been identified across the UK.

The council said visitors to green spaces were encouraged to stick to pathways and avoid feeding wild birds.

The authority added people who found sick, dead or injured birds should report them to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) by phoning its helpline.

It was, the council stated, "also vital that people who keep birds and poultry continue to maintain high standards of biosecurity and keep their poultry housed".

Anyone who had been in contact with sick or dead birds in an area where avian flu had been confirmed should notify the UK Health Security Agency West Midlands Health Protection Team, the council said.