The Farne Islands are to remain closed until the end of the summer after avian flu was detected among the local bird population. The islands, off the coast of Northumberland, will be closed to landings until the end of August, the National Trust has said.
However, sail-around tours of the islands, famed for their rare seabird population, will continue to be offered by local boat operators. The tours will allow the public to observe the island’s 200,000 seabirds from a distance.
Last year, avian flu killed more than 6,000 birds on the islands. Guillemots and kittiwakes were impacted the most, with 3,542 and 818 killed by the virus respectively.
