Defra announce housing measures to stop spread of bird flu in England
Further cases were found across the east coast of England in recent days
All poultry in certain parts of the UK will be made to be housed indoors following further cases of bird flu.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency confirmed that a number of other cases of bird flu were found in poultry across the east coast of England.
The main cases have been found in Norfolk and the East Riding of Yorkshire, with Defra describing the findings as "highly pathogenic".
As a result, there has been an increase in the risk of transmitting bird flu to more wild species and other species of poultry.
In order to contain the spread of the virus, a number of housing measures have been brought in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the city of Kingson-upon-Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Under the new rules, which come into force at midday on Monday (December 23rd), all birds must be kept in houses helped to protect their animals from bird flu.
Animals typically not included in the order, including pet birds and commercial flocks, will also fall under this order.
Defra says that the measures are "to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of disease occurring".
On Thursday (December 19th), orders were enforced across a 3-kilometre area following an outbreak of the disease at a premises in Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire.