Bird flu has broken out in Devon.

The case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was confirmed near Buckfastleigh, Teignbridge at 9.30pm last night (December 22).

The birds were captive but not poultry and will be culled.

This is the 55th case of bird flu in England over the past few months, and the fourth case in the south west.

Cases have been identified near Bournemouth, near Swindon and near the Forest of Dean.

More than half a million birds have been culled across the country.

A Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone has been declared around the Buckfastleigh farm which is a radius of three kilometres, centred on grid reference SX7407066231 on the Ordnance Survey [Landranger 1:50,000 series].

The measures that apply to bird owners within the zone mean that visitors have to be recorded, all movement of poultry and eggs must be recorded, birds must be housed or isolated and strict biosecurity must be engaged.

On November 29 new housing measures for poultry came into force which mean that all bird keepers across the UK must keep their birds indoors by law - regardless of how many or few birds they have.