Guidance is being issued to the public after DEFRA confirmed cases of avian flu in Epping Forest.

 Visitors to the site, which is managed as a registered charity by the City of London Corporation, are being asked to follow Government guidance:

• Keep to footpaths
• Keep dogs on leads
• Do not feed wild waterfowl
• Do not pick up or touch dead or sick wild birds
• Do not touch wild bird feathers or surfaces contaminated with wild bird droppings
• If you keep poultry or other birds, wash your hands, and clean and disinfect your footwear before tending to your birds
• Report dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese, or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey to the Epping Forest team on 020 8532 1010. They will arrange safe collection

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Ben Murphy, said:

“The UK Health Security Agency has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low.

“Therefore the UK is facing its largest ever outbreak of bird flu and it is absolutely vital that we work together to help stop the spread.”

Epping Forest is London and Essex’s largest green space and is known as “the green lungs of London”.

The Forest is of national and international conservation importance, containing two registered historic parks, seven listed buildings, and three scheduled ancient monuments.

 More than two thirds of Epping Forest is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

 For further information on Avian flu see: GOV.UK

 ENDS

 Notes to editors

 The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK –  www.cityoflondon.gov.uk