RESTRICTIONS which were imposed after an outbreak of bird flu at an East Yorkshire farm have now been lifted.
Thousands of ducks at the Cherry Valley duck breeding farm in Nafferton, near Driffield, were culled after the H5N8 strain was discovered there more than a month ago.
There was also a 1.86-mile protection zone and six-mile surveillance zone set up to stop the disease spreading.
Both have now been lifted, which means all poultry keeping farms are now allowed to move poultry and other animals without restriction.
Other restrictions covering the storage, transport and sourcing of meat products were also lifted today.
Nigel Gibbens, chief vet for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: "Protecting our country from animal diseases is important for our economy, and our robust and thorough approach to tackling this outbreak means we are able to lift these restrictions at the earliest possible point allowed by EU law.
"This outbreak 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."
The strain of bird flu confirmed in Nafferton on November 16 was the same as that identified in an outbreak in the Netherlands and Germany shortly before.
