POULTRY farmers are being warned of a potential nightmare if an incurable bird disease spreads from Europe to the UK.

Avian Influenza has caused havoc in Italy and a new strain spread from Germany to Holland within the last two weeks.

Now experts are warning farmers to be vigilant in case the disease reaches UK shores, possibly carried by wild birds.

Alan Edwards, poultry advisor for the NFU in the West Midlands, said the arrival of the disease would be an absolute disaster for the industry.

"It's a different strain to the type that was in Italy so we have no vaccine that we can protect against," he said.

"If it did arrive we would be in a heck of a mess."

The disease has a mortality rate of about 85 per cent. It is only believed to be dangerous for humans if they already have human influenza.

The Government, the NFU and the Department for the Environ-ment, Food and Rural Affairs have a contingency plan similar to that witnessed during the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Farms would be quarantined and infected animals destroyed.

Although farmers would be the worst hit, other bird-based businesses are worried.

Jemima Parry-Jones MBE, director of the National Bird of Prey Centre in Newent, said an outbreak of Avian Flu could cripple the firm financially and prevent its planned move to the US at the end of the year.

"I don't quite know how we would manage," she said.

"All I can hope is that no movement of birds is going in and out of Holland."