THERE has been more confirmed outbreaks of bird flu with sick birds seen dead in rivers and ponds.

The Government has confirmed bird flu has been found in a small commercial flock in premises at Bidford, near Alcester.

A 3km protection zone around the small poultry unit and a 10km surveillance zone has been put in place which will affect areas including Evesham, Alcester and Cleve Prior.

If you keep birds and live in the affected area then you will need to take certain actions. Depending on which zone you are in this may include housing your birds.

Worcester News:

It is the latest confirmed case of bird flu in the county with birds at Wychbold Swan Rescue having to be humanely culled after an outbreak on Monday, November 1.

Dead and sick swans have been seen on the river Severn in Worcester where the swan sanctuary and section of path has been fenced off to protect the public.

Worcester City Council has also urged residents not to feed the swans until the outbreak is under control.

They have also told people to avoid touching loose feathers and surfaces that are contaminated with bird waste.

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) was declared across Britain effective from Wednesday, November 3.

The AIPZ means all bird keepers, whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock, are required by law to take a range of biosecurity precautions.

The Food Standards Agency has said that on the basis of the current scientific evidence, avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

Wychbold Swan Rescue released a statement saying: "As you can imagine, we are devastated by recent events.

"You may have heard on the news, it has been confirmed that our beloved birds have had to be euthanised after testing positive for avian influenza.

"We can’t believe this has happened again.

"This means until further notice, we are unable to attend to any birds."