A commercial flock near Halesworth has been hit by bird flu as the disease crisis plunges new depths.

The case at Cratfield, near Halesworth - confirmed on Sunday, November 13 - was the third in the area in recent weeks.

The flock is being culled and the area ringed by a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone as vets look for the source of the latest outbreak and try to stop the disease spreading further.

It follows a case in nearby Little Whittingham on November 3 and another in Ubbeston on October 21 in other commercial units.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has ripped through East Anglia - leaving devastation in its wake for a string of commercial chicken, egg, duck and turkey operations.

Farmers have been left deeply anxious - and those close to the outbreak are fearful and on high alert.

Small-scale turkey farmer Chris Mobbs at Cratfield said he and others like him were very concerned and just trying to reach the finish line intact. He has not been hit by the disease - and is keeping his fingers crossed he can get to the finish line.

East Anglian Daily Times:

He is rearing 3,500 turkeys for the Christmas market and has seven workers arriving from eastern Europe on November 29 to help with killing and processing them.

He and wife Judith are writing to Suffolk Coastal MP and now environment secretary Therese Coffey calling for a more robust compensation system in case they get hit.

Chris fears that if the disease strikes just halfway through the processing, only those birds culled by vets would attract compensation - even though he would have to dispose of all the birds - including those already killed.

"Our worst fear is what happens if we catch it when we start killing, because our understanding is we would lose any compensation on any birds we get plucked."

Farmers were "very frightened", he said. "Particularly for the Christmas period it's getting critical."

With the disease now close, he is within the 3km zone and is living virtually cut off from the outside world. He is considering dropping his free range status next year in the wake of the crisis.

A regional prevention zone was declared across Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex - which were at the epicentre of the outbreak - on September 27, 2022.

A national order followed on November 7.

There have been 106 confirmed cases in England since October 1 2022. Overall, there have been 240 cases since the outbreak started in October 2021.