Bird flu confirmed at premises near Inverness

An outbreak of avian flu has been confirmed near Inverness.

The Scottish government said the H5N1 virus had been detected at a small premises in Daviot, but there were no details on how many birds were affected.

A two mile (3km) protection zone and a six mile (10km) surveillance zone have been put in place.

There are also restrictions preventing the movement of poultry, eggs and manure to prevent any further spread of the disease.

In January, it became a legal requirement for all poultry keepers in Scotland and England to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the threat of bird flu.

It is a disease caused by a virus that infects birds and sometimes other animals, such as foxes, seals and otters.

Scientists said the risk to humans was low.

Penny Middleton, of NFU Scotland, said bird flu could spread quickly.

She told BBC Scotland News: "It really is doing absolutely everything you can to minimise the contact between your own birds and wild birds.

"There is quite a lot of information and guidance out there on things you can do to increase biodiversity, in particular keeping food and water in an enclosed area wild birds can't access."