Bird flu warning: keepers told to keep poultry inside

Government chief vet declares 'prevention zone' for England as highly infectious strain of avian flu hits Europe

All bird keepers, from poultry farmers to families with a few chickens, have been ordered to house their animals for a month to protect the UK from a virulent outbreak of avian flu on mainland Europe.

The government's chief vet, Nigel Gibbens, has declared a "prevention zone" for England that requires commercial and individual bird keepers to keep their birds inside for 30 days or take steps to separate them from wild birds.