Bird flu: Poultry ordered to be kept indoors across England

Farmers and the government are battling Britain’s worst ever outbreak of the disease

All poultry must now be kept indoors across England, the government has ordered as it steps up measures to tackle the UK’s worst ever outbreak of bird flu.

The mandatory requirement means all bird-keepers face legal action if they fail to move their flocks inside and introduce stringent biosecurity measures by Monday 7 November.

More than 200 cases of the disease, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, have struck premises across the country and resulted in the culling of at least three million birds. Some 70 cases have been identified since the beginning of October