A 1km restriction zone at Bigpath Farm near Bishop's Waltham has been lifted

A 1km restriction zone was imposed around the Bigpath Farm in Upham, near Bishop's Waltham after bird flu was confirmed in chickens on February 2, only the second place where bird flu has been confirmed in the UK since 2008.

Around 10,000 birds had to be culled and the farm was cleansed and disinfected to prevent the disease from spreading.

Three people, including a Defra official, had medical tests after showing signs of the illness, but these proved negative.

Now environment bosses have lifted the restrictions meaning all poultry keeping farms within the 1km zone around the infected premises can move poultry and other animals again freely.

Defra said investigations suggest the most likely source of infection was indirect contact with infected wild birds.

No further cases of avian flu have been identified, it confirmed.

Experts have identified the outbreak as a low severity H7N7 strain of the disease, a much less severe form than the H5N8 strain found at a Yorkshire duck farm last November.

The restrictions have been lifted 21 days after the completion of an initial cleaning and disinfection of the premises, which is the earliest point allowed under EU to end controls.

Chief Vet Nigel Gibbens said: “Protecting our country from animal disease is important for our economy, and our robust and thorough approach to tackling this outbreak quickly means we have been able to lift these restrictions at the earliest possible point allowed by EU law.

“This outbreak and the recent case in Yorkshire should serve as a reminder for the poultry industry of the importance of maintaining strict biosecurity to minimise the risk of infection, and I would urge keepers to remain vigilant for any signs of disease and report suspicions to their vet immediately.”