Residents warned not to touch dead birds found in various locations in Dudley borough
Dudley residents have been warned not to touch dead wild birds which have been found throughout the borough amid warnings about avian flu.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the UK Health Security Agency are helping Dudley Council deal with the dead birds.
Birds were found in Mary Stevens Park, and barriers were installed blocking off pathways and play areas this week.
Dudley Council posted a warning on social media after reports of dead birds at multiple locations leading to the areas where they were found being closed to the public.
A council spokesman said: "We’ve had a number of reports of dead wild birds in various locations across the borough, including Mary Stevens Park.
"It’s important people do not touch or let their pets near to any dead or poorly wild fowl. Instead, please contact Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345."
The spokesman added: "We are liaising with Defra and the UK Health Security Agency concerning the safe removal of the birds.
"As a precautionary measure, areas within Mary Stevens Park have been closed, including pathways around the lake and the children’s play area, near to where the birds were found."
It is not known if the discovery of the birds is linked to avian influenza. Bird flu has been found at scores of poultry farms and commercial premises across the UK in the past year, while the disease has also ripped through breeding colonies of seabirds, killing thousands in some sites.
