30,000 Christmas turkeys to be slaughtered after Norfolk bird flu outbreak

Thirty thousand birds will be slaughtered Credit: PA Images

Thirty thousand Christmas turkeys are to be slaughtered after an outbreak of bird flu in Norfolk.

Defra has announced an outbreak of disease at a farm near Attleborough, which is an area with many poultry farms.

All the birds on the site will be humanely slaughtered to stop the disease from spreading, while vets investigate the likely source of the infection.

A protection zone has been put up around the site to limit the risk of spread to other farms.

Defra has not named the farm affected for commercial reasons.

Defra have issued the following map showing the area affected Credit: Defra

Bird Flu is has been confirmed in wild birds and in several poultry farms across England but this is the first confirmed outbreak in Norfolk.

Great Britain’s three Chief Veterinary Officers issued a statement saying they had taken swift action to try to stop the outbreak and urged anyone who keeps birds to follow the rules.

Government advice on bird flu can be found here.