Lake closed after gulls seen 'dropping from the sky'

A suspected outbreak of bird flu on the Derbyshire-Leicestershire border led National Forest staff to temporarily close Albert Village Lake to visitors.

Staff at nearby Linjoy Wildlife Sanctuary in Etwall, Derbyshire, have said they are in "damage control" after a suspected outbreak of avian influenza in the area.

Dozens of Black-headed Gulls have been dying at colonies monitored by sanctuary staff and samples have been sent for testing for avian influenza (Linjoy WIldlife Sanctuary).

The sanctuary said that large numbers of dead and dying Black-headed Gulls have been found around the Derbyshire-Leicestershire border in recent days.

Further reports of Black-headed Gulls appearing to succumb to bird flu have come from the Swadlincote area, but Albert Village Lake, just into Leicestershire, is the worst-affected site. At least 38 dead gulls were removed from the the lake in a five-day period in early May.

DEFRA said it had not yet received any reports of wild bird avian influenza cases in the area. Wildlife sanctuary staff say samples have been been sent off for analysis but have confirmed that all of the birds in their care are clear of the virus.

As part of its response to the situation, National Forest staff closed Albert Village Lake to visitors for three days while the gull colony was monitored and carcasses removed.

In a post on Facebook, the Linjoy Wildlife Sanctuary said: "It is absolutely heart-breaking and at its current rate, it is likely to affect this year's breeding season.

"We are currently liaising with the National Forest rangers to work out a plan to remove dead and sick birds in order to try and slow the spread of the virus between the gulls and other birds and animals that call the lake home."

They added that dog-walkers keep their pets on a lead in order to avoid contact with dead or dying infected birds.