Farmer fined for ignoring bird flu restrictions
A farmer has received a fine after he admitted failing to comply with measures to stop the spread of bird flu.
Cheltenham Magistrates' Court was told Nigel Jackson of North Park Farm, Cowley, did not put his chickens in isolation when restrictions were in place during late 2022 and early 2023.
The 77-year-old was also charged with failing to appropriately dispose of sheep carcasses in December 2022.
Jackson was fined £600 in total, in addition to a £240 victim surcharge and £1,000 towards prosecution costs.
When the bird flu restrictions were put in place it was a legal requirement for domestic poultry keepers to isolate their birds to prevent them from coming into contact with wild birds and mammals.
Gloucestershire County Council said members of its trading standards team asked Jackson to house the birds but when he did not do so, he was served with an enforcement notice on 5 January 2023.
Officers found Jackson to be in breach of the notice when they returned to his farm on two follow-up visits within the next nine days.
Acting head of trading standards Jason Poole said: “In this case we had to take legal proceedings as the advice we issued to comply with the restrictions in place was not followed.
"The failure to dispose of animal carcasses also poses a disease risk and action will be taken where breaches of the legislation are found."
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