A Gloucestershire egg producer has explained how she took steps to ensure that eggs laid by her turkey flock remained free range amid the recent outbreak of bird flu.

Sarah Hawkeswood of Phoenix Free Range in Bisley, near Stroud, is reassuring customers that eggs laid by her birds are 'free range' thanks to the measures she introduced to keep them safe.

It followed the introduction of a Prevention Zone across the UK that the meant all poultry and captive birds needed to be housed, or, where it is not practical to do so, separated them from wild birds.

Sarah said: "During the time when sanctions have been in place to prevent the spread of Avian Flu, our turkeys have nevertheless been allowed out to graze and roam, as they have been kept under large netted enclosures,

'The most important factor is to ensure that a flock is protected from any possible wild bird droppings, as this is where the virus is contained, but it is not necessarily the case that poultry must be kept indoors."

Sarah's flock comprises on average 120 laying turkeys, in two acres of land.

Her turkeys can still benefit from being outside as long as they have a roof over their enclosure, or fine netting, to prevent any possible droppings contaminating the area where the poultry are free to roam.

Sarah added: "Poultry and captive birds can be housed in a barn, a garage or a redundant building.

"Once our turkeys start laying in April, you can rest assured that when you see 'Free Range' on our boxes of eggs, it quite literally is, and always has been, the case', 'Free Range remains Free Range'."