The bird flu outbreak could spell a Christmas without turkey dinner for Brits this year, farmers have warned.
The worst bird flu outbreak in UK history has already led to three million turkeys being culled as part of efforts to keep the disease under control. Special protection zones have been set up in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex as well as across the entirety of south-west England to protect the remaining livestock .
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that officials were working to “eradicate the disease as quickly as possible”, The Mirror reports. But farmers have warned that there may be a shortage of turkeys to meet Christmas demand if bird flu continues to spread, with the deadly illness also ripping through other bird species so far this year.
