AVIAN INFLUENZA has been confirmed in a small commercial flock of laying hens close to Redcar, North Yorkshire.
The strain is highly pathogenic H5N8.
See also: Dutch to keep birds housed beyond 16 weeks
All poultry present on the site will be humanely culled to prevent the further spread of the disease.
And 3km protection and 10km surveillance zones have been imposed around the site, and it is understood 17 other holdings with poultry are within 10km.
To date, the UK has been hit by 22 cases of avian influenza in commercial holdings.
Europe
There have been more than 300 detections in wild birds across the UK, and the virus continues to circulate across Europe.
A legally enforceable housing order remains in place in the UK.
Last week, the Dutch government confirmed it would not lift its housing order, meaning that eggs from birds kept indoors will lose their free-range status.
And the French ministry says that more than 450 cases have now been confirmed in the country, mostly concentrated in the South West.
Poultry keepers there must cull birds if they are within 5km of an infected farm, under stricter conditions aimed at curbing disease spread.
