The outbreak was identified in a small flock of chickens and ducks near Settle in North Yorkshire, less than 40km inland from the Irish sea, British chief vet Nigel Gibbens said.

The British authorities have culled the birds in the flock and established restrictions around the farm.

"This finding in a backyard flock shows how essential it is for all poultry owners, even those who just keep a few birds as pets, to do everything they can to keep them separate from wild birds and minimise the risk of them catching avian flu via the environment," Gibbens said.

Farmed birds must be kept indoors as a result of orders taken by all governments in Britain and Ireland or, where impossible, separated from wildlife. A case of H5N8 bird flu was found in a wild duck in Co Wexford at the end of December.

Gibbens has issued a video with advice on the measures to be observed against the spread of bird flu:

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