East Yorkshire bird flu outbreak as restrictions set to be eased

An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed in East Yorkshire just days before rules around keeping birds indoors are to be relaxed.

The highly contagious H5N1 virus was found at premises near Leven, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

Birds at the site will be culled and a 1.8-mile (3km) protection zone has been put in place around the site.

It comes as bird flu restrictions are due to be lifted later this month.

The rules have been in place since 7 November last year, making it a legal requirement to keep the animals inside and to follow stringent biosecurity measures to help protect flocks.

The government said the "mandatory housing order" for England and Wales would be ended at 00:01 BST on Tuesday 18 April.

It means birdkeepers will be allowed to keep their flocks outside again and eggs laid by poultry kept outdoors can once more be labelled as "free range".

However, the UK's chief veterinary officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss, still warned that "scrupulous standards" of biosecurity would need to be maintained as avian flu was expected to still be circulating in the environment for several weeks.

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