Bird flu outlook is ‘grim’ as new wave of the virus heads for Britain

Warning comes as ornithologists call for the government to step up testing to monitor the impact of the deadly H5N1 strain

A devastating new outbreak of avian flu - which has already wiped out wild bird populations across the UK - is likely to hit Britain in the spring. That is the stark warning made last week by ornithologists who said the disease has now established itself across many parts of the country.

Wild birds arriving in Britain in a couple of months are very likely to trigger new outbreaks of the disease," said Claire Smith, senior conservation officer for the RSPB. A few months ago, I was relatively optimistic about its likely impact this year but outbreaks have continued throughout winter and the outlook for 2023 now looks much grimmer."