A spokesman for Public Health England said the risk to people was low as there had never been a recorded case of H5N8, which has been circulating in European countries including Poland and France, in humans. "We will offer health advice to those people who may have been exposed on the farm as a precaution," she added. The outbreak is not expected to have any effect on Christmas supplies. It comes after the Government's chief vet issued a warning to bird keepers urging them to keep birds inside following a number of separate disclosures to the Daily Telegraph. Defra's Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: “It is firmly in the interests of all keepers of birds in England to do all they can to keep them separate from wild birds and I strongly encourage everyone to keep their birds inside wherever possible. “Where housing is not practically possible or would impact on the welfare of the birds, there are a range of biosecurity measures such as the use of netting that can still be taken to reduce the risk of contact with wild birds. It is essential that all bird keepers continue to maintain high biosecurity standards which are vital in reducing the risk of infection.”
A turkey farm in Tetney in Lincolnshire has tested positive for the H5N8 strain of bird flu, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The farm, which is owned by a company called Bird Flu Ltd, was closed on Friday after it failed to meet health standards set out under new rules introduced last year. In a statement DEFRA said an "investigation is underway to understand the origin of the disease and confirm that there are no further cases." However, some poultry farmers had complained of birds being allowed to roam free, in contravention of DEFRA's quarantine rules.