POULTRY owners in Huddersfield are being ordered to register their birds as part of a programme to tackle bird flu.

The Government registration scheme means owners of flocks of 50 or more birds have until February 28 to log their birds.

The scheme is in response to the growing threat of bird flu.

A lethal strain of bird flu, H5N1, has already claimed a number of human victims in the Far East after developing the ability to jump from birds to humans.

Under recent bird flu regulations there is a requirement for people who usually keep 50 or more birds on commercial poultry premises to register them.

But even people with fewer than 50 birds are encouraged to register on a voluntary basis.

No central database of poultry flocks exists.

The aim of the register is to gather vital information about birds on commercial premises across Great Britain, to build up a better picture of size, type and proximity of flocks.

The Government will use the information to improve planning to deal with any potential disease outbreak.