THREE people have been tested for bird flu following an outbreak at a Hampshire farm.

It is understood that three people, including a Defra official, were tested for the disease after showing symptoms.

This comes after health officials confirmed chickens at a farm in Upham, near Bishop's Waltham have avian flu.

A previously reported 1km restriction zone has been set up around the farm.

Now work has begun on slaughtering 10,000 chickens to try to contain the outbreak.

It is understood that this was confirmed last Friday following several deaths amongst the chickens.

Hampshire Chronicle:

It has been identified as the H7 strain, which is described by officials as ''much less severe'' than the H5N8 strain found at a Yorkshire duck farm in November.

Defra said there are no links between the two cases, while Public Health England said the risk to public health is very low.

The three people tested have proved negative. Defra said there are no links between the two cases, while Public Health England said the risk to public health is very low.

There is no food safety risk for consumers, according to the Food Standards Agency.

A 1km poultry restriction zone, including roads and footpaths, remains in place and the birds at the commercial chicken breeding farm, which has not been named, are to be culled as part of action to prevent any spread of the disease.

Nick Phin, director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, said: ''Based on what we know about this strain of avian influenza and the actions that have been taken, the risk to human health in this case is considered very low.''

A spokesperson for the Food Standards Agency said: ''On the basis of current scientific evidence, Food Standards Agency advice is that avian (bird) flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.

''Laboratory investigations on the outbreak indicate that it is the N7 sub-type of H7 but this will need to be confirmed in further testing.''